Israel ambassador says Kuwait could join Abraham Accords within six months

Israel’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates has claimed that another Gulf state, potentially Kuwait, could join the Abraham Accords within the next six months, despite Kuwait’s longstanding refusal to normalise ties with Israel.

Yossi Shelley made the claim in an interview with Israeli public broadcaster KAN on Tuesday, saying Kuwait could join the US-brokered agreements within four to six months.

The comments come as Israel seeks to expand the network of Arab states formally establishing relations with it, six years after the UAE and Bahrain became the first signatories to the Abraham Accords.

But Kuwait has remained a prominent holdout, with opposition to normalisation deeply rooted in the country’s political and public spheres.

Unlike most other Gulf monarchies, the country has a politically influential parliament, where Islamic and Arab nationalist forces have traditionally opposed normalisation with Israel.

While Kuwait’s emir retains ultimate authority over foreign policy, public and political resistance to Israel remains a major factor shaping the country’s position.

Trump pushes for wider Abraham Accords

Shelley’s comments came as US President Donald Trump has called for the Abraham Accords to be expanded further across the region.

Trump has previously urged additional countries to join the agreements, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, alongside existing signatories the UAE and Bahrain.

In comments cited by the Israeli media, Trump argued that the countries should sign the accords simultaneously after extensive US efforts to advance the initiative.

The renewed push comes against a backdrop of major regional tensions and the continuing fallout from Israel’s war across the region.

Shelley also described Israel-UAE relations as strengthening, saying there had been “dramatic growth” in bilateral ties and cooperation.

He claimed the UAE and Israel were now “true partners at the moment of truth”, while acknowledging that some aspects of their relationship remain sensitive and are not publicly reported.