On August 13, 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a peace agreement called the ‘Abraham Accord’, brokered by the US administration.[1] US President Donald Trump announced that the pact for ‘normalization’ of ties between the two countries will encompass broader cooperation in the trade, tourism, food security, technology and energy. This makes UAE the first Gulf state and the third Arab country to develop ‘normal’ diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan’s peace agreements of 1979 and 1994 respectively.
The surprise announcement came after months of talks through a mediator, Jared Kushner, senior advisor and son-in-law of President Trump.[2] Creating severe backlash from the Palestinians, the move also angered several Muslim states across the globe that have denounced the state of Israel over its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territory.
