While there are fears of a new escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the USA is trying to stabilize the security situation throughout the Middle East. According to US President Donald Trump, the Muslim-dominated Kazakhstan is now also joining the so-called Abraham Accords for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states. Shortly before, the UN Security Council lifted sanctions against Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa before Trump welcomed him to the White House on Monday.
The former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan has had diplomatic relations with Israel for more than 30 years. This is probably more of a symbolic step. The country’s accession to the Abraham Accords is intended as a first step to restore Israel’s reputation in the Arab and Muslim world, which has been damaged by the Gaza war, the US news site “Axios” quoted US officials as saying.
Will Saudi Arabia join the accords?
Kazakhstan was the first country in his second term to join the Abraham Accords – “the first of many,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The hoped-for inclusion of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Syria in the agreements would certainly have a higher priority. Trump launched the Abraham Accords, with which several Arab states normalized relations with Israel, in 2020 during his first term in office.
Now Washington wants to bring new impetus to the agreements ahead of a planned visit by the Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman to Washington on November 18, Axios quoted a US official as saying. According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, Israel and Saudi Arabia may begin direct talks to lay the groundwork for establishing diplomatic relations.
A corresponding announcement could therefore be made when the Saudi Crown Prince visits Washington. Previous efforts at rapprochement between the two countries initially came to a standstill after the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7, 2023 in Israel and the resulting war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is holding talks with Syria
Meanwhile, Israel is already holding talks about a security agreement with its hostile Syria. Syria’s interim president al-Sharaa recently confirmed the ongoing negotiations. However, he emphasized that an agreement does not mean normalization of relations with Israel.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council not only lifted sanctions against al-Sharaa, but also against Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab. A corresponding resolution from the USA was passed with 14 votes, China abstained. The two politicians were on the Council’s international sanctions list because of previous connections to the terrorist militia Al-Qaeda.
The US delegation viewed the vote as a signal for a new political beginning in Syria a year after the overthrow of former ruler Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani thanked the US and “friendly nations” on Platform X for their support.
Syria’s interim president expected in the White House
Al-Sharaa will on Monday become the first Syrian president since his country’s independence in 1946 to visit the White House in Washington.
Netanyahu had recently outlined the vision of a future peace settlement not only with Syria, but also with Lebanon, which borders to the north. There has been a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah since the end of November. But tensions have recently worsened again. On Thursday, the Israeli army bombed buildings in several locations in southern Lebanon that were said to have been used by Hezbollah.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are heating up
The target was, among other things, weapons depots belonging to the elite Radwan unit, the Israeli military announced in the evening after the violent attacks had stopped. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun spoke of a “blatant crime” by Israel, according to the state news agency NNA. Israel accuses Hezbollah of wanting to rebuild its military capabilities in the south of its neighboring country. Lebanon’s government accepted a US plan to disarm Hezbollah in August. The Iranian-backed militia is expected to hand over its weapons by the end of the year. Hezbollah never agreed to this schedule.
Disarming Hezbollah is a sensitive matter for the Lebanese government as the militia continues to enjoy strong support within the country – particularly among the Shiite population. The rather weak Lebanese army was tasked with disarming Hezbollah.
