Pakistan has reportedly rejected US President Donald Trump’s push for Muslim-majority countries to normalise ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, distancing itself from Washington’s latest diplomatic effort amid continuing anger over the Gaza war. This comes a day after Trump suggested that , tying the framework to the ongoing efforts to reach a peace deal with Iran.
Apart from Pakistan, these countries include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.
Taking to Truth Social on Monday, Trump wrote: “I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition.”
According to a Reuters source in Pakistan, Trump’s call reflected a bid to use Iran ceasefire diplomacy for a wider thrust around the Abraham Accords. The source added that the two issues were “not interlinked and cannot be made so.” “Pakistan is under no compulsion to adhere to any such demand,” the source said.
While Pakistan junked the proposal, no other country has so far publicly responded to the demand. Islamabad has been mediating the talks between Tehran and Washington.
Among the countries the US President reached out to, Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not host Israeli embassies. Israel opened its embassies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (in 2021) and Bahrain (in 2023) after the countries established formal diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv after becoming part of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The Accords, brokered by the US during Trump’s first term, were intended to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab, muslim-majority nations.
A positive reaction to Trump’s latest push was unlikely, as the public mistrust of Israel remains high for these Muslim countries over the extent of Tel Aviv’s military offensive in Gaza.
