Biden administration taking Abraham Accords ‘from start-up to real operation’

US Amb. Thomas Nides says Washington is working to deepen Israel’s ties with Arab Neighbors and is determined to “bring the Palestinians into the Accords in any way we can”.

"To exemplify those efforts, the ambassador highlighted last March’s Negev Summit, which was organized by Israel with assistance from the Biden administration, and brought together the foreign ministers of Israel, the US, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt at the Negev’s Kibbutz Sde Boker. The top diplomats used the gathering to launch six different working groups aimed at boosting regional cooperation on security, education, health, energy, tourism, food and water. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made sure that each working group also promotes initiatives that benefit the Palestinians.

"The Palestinian Authority has yet to embrace the effort to fold the Palestinians into the Accords, arguing that the initiative is ultimately aimed at bypassing a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

"Nides said he recognizes that the issue is 'complicated' for the PA, but insisted that the US is determined to 'bring the Palestinians in[to the accords in] any way we can. We believe it’s important for them to get the best economic benefits of any [agreements]… in the region.'"

"He recalled the administration’s recent $100 million dollar donation to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, which was matched by several other Gulf countries — something that might not have been possible before the Accords.

"Nides in many ways has become the leading US official on the Accords, though he stressed that his role is “to go deeper” with the existing agreements while “Washington’s goal is to go wider” in seeking new ones."

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