5 Years After Abraham Accords, Arab Summit Says Future and Past Normalization Efforts in Jeopardy
An updated draft resolution prepared for the Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar warns that Israel’s strike in Doha last week and its broader actions threaten progress on normalization with Arab states.
The draft, seen by Reuters, states that the “brutal Israeli attack on Qatar and the continuation of Israel’s hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, siege, and colonizing activities and expansion policies threatens prospects of peace and coexistence in the region, and threatens everything that has been achieved on the path of normalizing ties with Israel, including current agreements and future ones.”
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The September 9 strike targeted a meeting in Doha where Hamas officials had gathered. Hamas said five of its members were killed but claimed its leadership was not harmed. The attack has prompted US-aligned Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding new tension to relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic ties in 2020.
Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of genocide, pointing to its right to defend itself after the October 7, 2023, assault in which Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. In addition, Israel’s military has reported that operating in civilian areas is often necessary, since Hamas embeds itself in hospitals, schools and mosques.
Signed in 2020, the Abraham Accords established diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later joined by Morocco and Sudan. The deals opened the way for expanded trade, security cooperation, and regional dialogue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to press Qatar over its hosting of Hamas leaders. On Wednesday, he warned Doha to either expel senior Hamas officials or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.” Netanyahu argued on Saturday that removing Hamas leaders based in Qatar would clear the main obstacle to reaching a hostage deal and bringing the war to an end.
