US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Thursday that a new country would be joining the US-brokered 'Abraham Accords' - an announcement that would be followed hours later by news that the new joiner would be Kazakhstan.
The announcement appeared underwhelming to many - among both proponents and opponents of the Abraham Accords - as the two states already have long-standing ties since 1992.
The New Arab takes a look at why Kazakhstan has been added to the Abraham Accords, and the reception that the announcement received.
'US-led alliance'
Since its inception in 2020, the Abraham Accords has focused primarily on Middle Eastern states that previously had no official ties with Israel.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the first to join in 2020, later followed by Morocco. Sudan also signed onto the accords, though years later has still not ratified the deal.
Years on, there has been much talk about states - primarily Saudi Arabia - joining the accords, though a deal looks far off.
By adding Kazakhstan - a non-Arab, Muslim-majority state - to the deal, it appears that US President Donald Trump is attempting to revitalise the Abraham Accords, albeit with a slight change in purpose.
Joseph Epstein, director of the Washington-based Yorktown Institute's Turan Research Center, told the US-funded Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty that Astana's accession "marks the beginning of a new phase, transforming the accords from a Middle East peace initiative to a pro-US coalition of moderate Muslim countries devoted to tolerance and prosperity".
No Saudi deal in sight
The Trump administration, as well as the Biden administration before it, has been pushing for Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel, to no avail.
Riyadh has long been seen by the US as a key target for the accords due to its position as an economic powerhouse within the Muslim world, as well as the home of Islam's two holiest sites.
However, initial optimism about the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining has been dampened by outrage over Israel's genocide in Gaza.
In the early months of Israel's war, which began in October 2023, Saudi Arabia emphasised that normalisation would be off the table until a "clear path to statehood" was laid out for the Palestinians.
This stance later hardened, with the Saudi Foreign Ministry issuing a statement in February affirming that "Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that".
The statement, which also condemned Israel's settlement policies and land annexation, emphasised that "this unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises".
Last month, Israeli media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to secure a deal with Saudi Arabia or Indonesia to boost re-election chances in 2026.
Israel's Kan broadcaster noted that the chances of sealing a deal with Riyadh are considered "reasonable", while his chances of signing a similar agreement with Jakarta appear "low".
Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim-majority state - is also said to be considering normalising ties with Israel in return for Tel Aviv dropping its opposition to Jakarta's accession to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
'Desperate'
The move to add Kazakhstan to the Abraham Accords has drawn criticism and ridicule on social media, with many seeing it as a desperate move to revive Israel normalisation efforts.
"Israel is so desperate to rebrand its genocide as “peace” it’s now announcing Kazakhstan joined the Abraham Accords - a country that’s it has had full diplomatic ties with since 1992," wrote Palestinian-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin on X. "They couldn’t get Saudi on board so now they’re living in their delusions."
Former Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Leadership Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said: "Again reinventing history & doctoring facts. Kazakhstan is not an Arab country & it has had diplomatic relations with Israel since the early 1990’s. Used goods."
Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, also weighed in, highlighting the Trump administration's need to revive the stagnant accords.
"To bolster the Abraham Accords despite Israel's genocide in Gaza and blockage of a Palestinian state, the Trump administration has to go as far as Kazakhstan, which already had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992. A total charade," Roth said.