The Very Big Deal of Kazakhstan Signing on to the Abraham Accords

Some may have thought that the recent announcement that Kazakhstan is joining the Abraham Accords seemed to be another case of much ado about very little. After all, Kazakhstan and Israel have had full diplomatic relations since 1992 and have enjoyed robust economic ties and significant cooperation in defense, cyber security and energy.

However, the move comes following the bloody confrontation between Israel and Hamas and tends to mitigate the diplomatic isolation of Israel it fostered and also demonstrate that the Abraham Accord initiative is “alive and well.” This is all the more so given that although not an Arab country, Kazakhstan’s population is approximately 70% Muslim.

In fact, Kazakhstan is also located in Central Asia, demonstrating the Accords’ potential extends beyond the Middle East and the Arab world – the initial signatories, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco were Middle Eastern Arab countries – and even the issue of normalization with Israel.

So Kazakhstan’s joining the Accords has real benefits for Israel. And it is the same for the U.S. which reportedly anticipates that current bilateral trade and other cooperation amongst the three nations will be substantially enhanced.

In addition, by formally aligning with a U.S.-backed coalition of Muslim committed to engagement with Israel, Kazakhstan strengthens regional efforts to counter extremism and terrorism from bad actors like Iran. It will also add to America’s ability to deal with Russia’s and China’s admitted efforts to maximize their clout in Central Asia.

It also works in sync with Kazakhstan’s long standing “multi-vector” foreign policy, which aims to balance relations with major powers like Russia, China and the United States. Enhanced cooperation with the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies helps Kazakhstan diversify its strategic partnerships and assert its sovereignty.

In sum, far from being a non-event, Kazakhstan’s decision to join the Abraham Accords, although in the context of already existing relations with Israel, is part of a solid, forward-looking new global diplomacy and shared economic and security interests involving the U.S., Israel and Muslim-majority nations in Central Asia and beyond.

We trust that President Trump will not be distracted by some untethered alternative promoted by terrorists in suits.