US Secretary Marco Rubio: Arab Countries Preparing to Normalize Relations with Israel

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed confidence that several Arab countries will normalize their relations with Israel this year, joining the so-called ‘Abraham Accords’. “I believe we will have good news soon, definitely before the end of the year, for some countries ready to join this alliance with Israel,” Rubio said during a congressional committee hearing without specifying which countries he referred to. In 2020, the Abraham Accords, promoted by Donald Trump during his first term in the White House, led to the normalization of relations between Israel and three Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. However, many other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Israel’s neighbors Syria and Lebanon, have refused to join these agreements so far. Last week, during his visit to Riyadh, Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would soon normalize relations with Israel. However, Saudi Arabia rules out any such possibility unless an independent Palestinian state is established, a plan opposed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government. When asked about Saudi Arabia’s stance, Rubio stated that the country “always intends” to normalize relations with Israel. “Certain conditions remain obstacles, like October 7th (referring to the day Hamas members attacked Israel, leading to the Gaza war), but both Saudis and Israelis continue to express interest,” he emphasized.