Abraham Accords

On 15 September 2020 at the White House, hosted by President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements with the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed, and Bahrain, Abdullatif Al Zayani. The UAE deal, announced in August, came as Israel suspended plans to apply sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria. Sudan agreed to normalization in October 2020 and Morocco in December 2020, the latter alongside American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

The accords were named for Abraham, patriarch of both Jews and Arabs, and they broke the long-held assumption that no Arab state would normalize ties with Israel before the dispute over the West Bank and Gaza was settled. Embassies, direct flights, tourism, trade and security cooperation followed; the first El Al flight to Abu Dhabi crossed Saudi airspace bearing the number LY971, after the UAE's dialing code. The agreements held even through the war that began on 7 October 2023.