Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed call for expansion of the Abraham Accords has triggered a mixed and largely cautious response from key Muslim-majority countries, highlighting deep divisions in Middle Eastern diplomacy and differing national priorities on the Israel–Palestine conflict.
1. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, often seen as the most influential potential entrant, has firmly rejected participation without a credible and irreversible pathway toward Palestinian statehood. Riyadh’s stance reflects its long-standing position that normalization with Israel cannot proceed without substantive concessions on Palestinian sovereignty, making immediate accession to the accords politically unviable.
2. Pakistan
Pakistan has also categorically dismissed any possibility of joining. Islamabad maintains that it does not recognize Israel and continues to support a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders. Its rejection underscores both domestic political sentiment and its traditional alignment with broader Muslim world consensus on Palestine.
3. Qatar
Qatar, meanwhile, has taken a more reserved approach, neither endorsing nor directly rejecting the proposal. As a key diplomatic intermediary in regional negotiations, including talks involving Gaza and Iran, Doha’s silence is widely interpreted as strategic ambiguity rather than openness to normalization.
4. Turkey
Turkey has signaled that it is highly unlikely to join the accords, citing strained relations with Israel and ongoing disagreements over Palestinian rights. Ankara continues to position itself as a vocal critic of Israeli policies, making participation politically sensitive for the current leadership.
5. Egypt
Egypt presents a different case as it signed a peace deal with Isreal in 1979 under the Camp David accords but did not formally adopt the Abraham accords. It already maintain long-standing peace ties with Israel, but it is not a part of the Abraham Accords framework. Its relationship with Israel is functional but limited, and it has neither accepted nor rejected the proposal.
6. Jordan
Jordan has adopted the same approach as Egypt. It signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994. It has shown no interest in formally joining the U.S.-brokered initiative, preferring bilateral and security-focused cooperation over broader regional alignment.
7. Iran
Iran, though not a potential signatory, was also referenced in Trump’s remarks. Tehran swiftly rejected any suggestion of joining, given its ongoing hostility with Israel and deep opposition to U.S. regional policy.
Regional Rejection
Overall, the reactions from these seven Muslim-majority states reveal a consistent pattern: widespread resistance to expanded normalization without meaningful progress on Palestinian statehood, underscoring the limits of diplomatic realignment in the current Middle East landscape. This shows that despite repeated attempst by the West to integrate Israel in the Middle East, the region remains largely resistant to the West’s demands.
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