Politics Trump wants to expand agreement on relations with Israel
While fears of a new escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah are circulating in Lebanon, the USA is striving to stabilize the security situation in the entire Middle East.
07.11.2025, 05:48
SDA
According to US President Donald Trump, the so-called Abraham Accords for a normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states are now also being joined by Muslim-majority Kazakhstan. The UN Security Council lifted sanctions against Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa shortly before he was received by Trump at the White House on Monday.
The former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel for more than 30 years. This is probably more of a symbolic step. The country's accession to the Abraham Accords is intended as a first step towards restoring Israel's reputation in the Arab and Muslim world, which has been tarnished by the Gaza war, the US news website "Axios" quoted US officials as saying.
Will Saudi Arabia join the agreements?
Kazakhstan is the first country of his second term in office to join the Abraham Accords - "the first of many", Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The hoped-for inclusion of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Syria in the agreements would certainly have higher priority. Trump had initiated the Abraham Accords, with which several Arab states normalized relations with Israel, in 2020 during his first term in office.
Now Washington wants to inject new momentum into the agreements ahead of a planned visit by Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman to Washington on November 18, "Axios" quoted a US official as saying. According to the newspaper "Israel Hayom", Israel and Saudi Arabia may begin direct talks in order to create the basis for the establishment of diplomatic relations.
An announcement to this effect could be made during the Saudi crown prince's visit to Washington. Earlier efforts to bring the two countries closer together initially came to a standstill following the terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the resulting war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel holds talks with Syria
Meanwhile, Israel is already in talks with Syria about a security agreement. Syria's interim president al-Sharaa recently confirmed the ongoing negotiations. However, he emphasized that an agreement does not yet mean normalization of relations with Israel.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council not only lifted the sanctions against al-Sharaa, but also against Syria's Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab. A corresponding resolution by the USA was adopted by 14 votes, with China abstaining. Both politicians had been on the Council's international sanctions list due to previous links to the Al-Qaeda terrorist militia.
The US delegation saw the vote as a signal for a new political beginning in Syria one year after the fall of former ruler Bashar al-Assad. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani thanked the USA and "friendly nations" on Platform X for their support.
Syria's interim president expected at the White House
On Monday, al-Sharaa will be the first Syrian president since his country's independence in 1946 to be received at the White House in Washington.
Netanyahu recently outlined the vision of a future peace settlement not only with Syria, but also with neighboring Lebanon to the north. A ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian-backed Shia militia Hezbollah has been in place there since the end of November. However, tensions have recently escalated again. On Thursday, the Israeli army bombed buildings in several locations in southern Lebanon that were allegedly being used by Hezbollah.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensify
The targets included weapons depots belonging to the elite Radwan unit, Israel's military announced in the evening after the heavy attacks ceased. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun spoke of a "blatant crime" by Israel, according to the state news agency NNA. Israel accuses Hezbollah of wanting to rebuild its military capacities in the south of the neighboring country. In August, Lebanon's government accepted a US plan to disarm Hezbollah. The Iranian-backed militia is to give up its weapons by the end of the year. Hezbollah has never agreed to this timetable.
Disarming Hezbollah is a delicate matter for the Lebanese government, as the militia continues to enjoy great support in the country - especially among the Shiite population. The rather weak Lebanese army has been tasked with disarming Hezbollah.
