Marking five years since the historic Abraham Accords, Middle East policy expert and Arizona congressional candidate Zuhdi Jasser told Newsmax on Tuesday the agreements remain a cornerstone of regional stability and could soon expand to include more nations.
Jasser, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, told "Newsline" the accords, brokered under President Donald Trump in 2020, were "reassuring" and "brilliant." He noted that despite the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, none of the original signatories — Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan — has retreated from the framework. Instead, he pointed out more than 50 new economic, cultural and technological agreements forged under the pact.
"The Abraham Accords 1.0 proved their resilience under fire," Jasser, a Republican, said. "We've seen persistent, significant economic improvements ... and cultural exchanges from sports to technology. None of the hostilities in the region have broken that."
Jasser argued the accords diminished the influence of disruptive players such as Qatar, Iran, and even the United Nations. He said momentum is now building toward an "Abraham Accords 2.0," potentially bringing Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and even Syria into the fold.
Jasser credited Trump with breaking old assumptions about what was possible, recalling the president's bold statement that Gaza could one day become a "Riviera." That vision, Jasser suggested, has begun to resonate, fueling optimism about a more prosperous, cooperative Middle East.
"The region is starting to imagine a future where people thrive, economies grow, and radical ideologies lose their grip," he said.
Jasser also emphasized the broader geopolitical stakes. He described a growing divide between what he called the "red-green axis" of China, Iran, and Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood, versus the free world aligned with the West. By promoting modernization and entrepreneurship, he said, Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia are increasingly moving away from extremist influences.
As a longtime critic of radical Islam, Jasser argued that labeling groups like the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations remains a key step. For him, the durability of the Abraham Accords is proof that a new Middle East — more integrated with the West and less beholden to radicals — is within reach.
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