The Abraham Accords and Shifting Alliance Structures in the Middle East

Background: The normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states since 2020, alongside subsequent diplomatic developments through 2023 and 2024, have altered traditional alliance configurations within the Middle East, particularly regarding the historic centrality of the Palestinian question in regional diplomacy. Aims/objectives: This study investigates how the Abraham Accords have reshaped strategic alignments among regional actors and influenced broader normalization prospects following the escalation of conflict in Gaza. Method: A qualitative document analysis of diplomatic communiqués, bilateral trade agreements, and security cooperation frameworks was conducted alongside expert interviews with Middle East foreign policy specialists. Results: Findings reveal that economic and security cooperation expanded significantly between signatory states, particularly in technology and defense sectors, yet the renewed Gaza conflict exposed the fragility of normalization absent meaningful progress on Palestinian statehood. Public opinion within signatory states remained considerably more skeptical than official government positions suggested. Conclusion: The research concludes that the Abraham Accords represent a state-level realignment rather than a comprehensive regional peace framework, with continued vulnerability to disruption from unresolved core conflicts. Sustainable regional stability requires renewed multilateral engagement with the Palestinian issue alongside continued economic integration efforts among Accord signatories. These dynamics underscore the limits of state-centric normalization absent broader societal buy-in across the region.

Keywords: Abraham Accords, Middle East diplomacy, normalization, regional alliances, Israeli-Arab relations