Why Trump’s demand for Abraham Accords puts Pakistan in an ‘inappropriate’ place | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump has been pushing most Muslim and Arab countries to join the Abraham Accords – a demand that puts Pakistan, a key mediator in Iran-US talks, in a difficult position, an expert said.
Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council and author of Foreign Policy magazine’s South Asia Brief, said on Monday (May 25): “…for now, joining the Abraham Accords is unrealistic for Pak (istan).
In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump called on countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to sign the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional settlement linked to a potential deal with war-torn Iran.
Read also | Trump Says Iran Talks ‘Progressing Nicely’, Pushes to Expand Abraham Accords
“…after all the work that the United States has done to try to piece this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory for all of these countries to sign the Abraham Accords at the very least at the same time,” Trump said.
“The countries under discussion are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (already a member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain (already a member!). It’s possible that one or two have a reason not to do so, and that will be accepted, but the majority should be ready, willing and able to make this tie far more historic than Monday’s with Iran.
“Unpleasant” question
Michael Kugelman called Pakistan’s closeness to Trump an “occupational risk in his good graces” and called the Abraham Accords demand “an unpleasant ask from Pak, but one should not be surprised.”
Kugelman said this in response to a post about Trump telling “leaders of Arab and Muslim countries … that if an agreement is reached to end the Iran war, he wants their nations to join the Abraham Accords and sign peace agreements with Israel.”
Read also | Pakistan rejects Donald Trump’s call to sign Abraham Accords: What is it?
Kugelman wrote on X: “As I’ve said before about Pakistan, the more you work with Trump, the greater the risk of being asked to do something you don’t want to do — like join the Abraham Accords.”
Why is Trump’s stance unacceptable to Pakistan?
Pakistan has specifically ruled out joining the Abraham Accords signed in 2020 during Donald Trump’s first term as it supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
The main intention of the Abraham Accords was to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
It focused on supporting bilateral diplomatic, trade and security relations with Arab states that are not directly parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Read also | Pakistan rejects Donald Trump’s call to sign Abraham Accords: What is it?
The problem was that the resulting agreements did not significantly address the Palestinian issue, the resolution of which was considered a prerequisite for formal relations with Israel, according to the Middle East Institute.
This prompted criticism that the accords undermined the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which sought to promote a two-state solution.
Now, Pakistan says Abraham Accords “it goes against our fundamental principles.”
Islamabad claims that does not recognize Israel until a just and independent Palestinian state based on internationally agreed principles is established.
This leads to the understanding that Pakistan’s stance on the Abraham Accords and the Palestinian issue, as well as the country’s evolving relationship with Trump, especially after Operation Sindoor, seem to have made things difficult.
Read also | Enriched uranium on sanctions: What’s at stake in the proposed Iran-US peace deal
Trump’s demand to join the Abraham Accords thus puts pressure on Pakistan, which has strengthened its position on the international stage by assuming the role of a key mediator in the Iran-US peace talks.
If Pakistan gives in to Trump’s pressure, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir may pay a heavy price at home.
“Perhaps if the Saudis joined the AA, Pakistan would feel pressure to reconsider. But given where public sentiment is, a Pakistani government joining them would risk committing political suicide” says Michael Kugelman.
He noted that in the past “some Pakistani civilian and military officials have had informal ties with Israel. However, Islamabad has always linked recognition of Israel to the creation of a Palestinian state.”
“That was an ironclad position. So for now, joining the Abraham Accords is a non-starter for Pak(istan),” he added.
Pakistan’s attitude towards the Abraham Accords
Earlier, in January of this year, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi stressed that Pakistan’s position on Palestine remains unchanged.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif recently told Samaa TV on Tuesday (May 26th) in response to Trump’s demand that Islamabad will not support any deal that goes against the country’s “core ideologies.”
“Personally, I don’t think we should join any such agreement which is against our basic ideologies,” Asif said during an interview, according to ANI.
Pakistan’s defense minister, who questioned the credibility of cooperation with Israel, added: “How do you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?”
“We have a very clear position that this is not acceptable to us,” Asif emphasized, while reiterating Islamabad’s long-standing position on the issue.
He clarified: “We have not taken any initiative to join the Abraham Accords, nor have we been asked to do so.”
