Kazakhstan is set to join the Abraham Accords, a move criticized as a hollow and symbolic step that does nothing to advance Palestinian rights or statehood, and instead serves to whitewash Israel's international standing amid its ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The announcement that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords was made during a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and five Central Asian leaders. U.S. officials framed the move as a strategic effort to reinvigorate the agreements and rebuild international support for Israel, which has faced deepening isolation over the war in Gaza. A senior U.S. official stated the addition aims to show the Accords are "a club that many countries want to be a member of" and represents a step toward "turning the page on the war in Gaza".
However, this development is largely hollow. Kazakhstan and Israel have maintained full diplomatic relations for over 30 years, since April 1992. The two countries have no history of conflict, and the agreement does not change the existing status of diplomatic or business ties.
The Abraham Accords, established in 2020, have faced significant challenges. The 2023-25 Israel-Hamas war has led to a "widespread decline" in public support for ties with Israel within Arab nations. While no Abraham Accords state has yet cut formal diplomatic ties, the relationship has cooled considerably, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia issuing strong warnings against Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
This move occurs alongside a global trend that highlights the continued isolation of the Palestinian cause. While Kazakhstan moves closer to Israel through the Accords, the State of Palestine is recognized by 157 UN member states, representing over 80% of the international community. This contrast underscores that normalization agreements between Israel and Arab or Muslim-majority states often proceed without requiring progress toward Palestinian statehood, a core grievance of Palestinian authorities who have condemned such agreements as a betrayal.
For Kazakhstan, a Muslim-majority country, the decision is seen as a way to gain goodwill in Washington and benefit from enhanced regional cooperation. For the Trump administration, it represents a political victory, marking the first expansion of the Accords since 2020 and a step toward its goal of making the agreements the central framework for relations between Israel and the Muslim world. Critics argue that by focusing on symbolic additions, the Accords risk becoming a tool for Israel to normalize relations with the Muslim world without making concessions to the Palestinians.