Abraham Accords

Historical eventSeptember 152020

Abraham Accords

The Abraham Accords were signed in Washington, D.C. (signatories pictured), normalizing relations between Israel and two Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Photo: הבית הלבן · Public domain

In context

When
Tuesday, September 15 20206 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2020s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2020.

Place: Washington, D.C., United States.

Type: contract.

Key figures / parties: Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan.

What came before

Part of: Arab-Israeli peace projects.

Background The Israeli–Palestinian peace process was advanced with the Oslo Accords in 1993 and 1995 but later collapsed with the start of the Second Intifada and the end of peace broker Bill Clinton 's term as US president. The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative offered normalisation of relations by the Arab world with Israel, in return for a full withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (including the West Bank , Gaza , the Golan Heights , and Lebanon ),

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The Trump administration sought to reshape Middle Eastern diplomacy by brokering direct Israeli-Arab agreements outside traditional peace frameworks. The UAE, facing regional tensions and seeking economic and security benefits, became the first Arab state willing to publicly normalize relations with Israel since 1994.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

The United States, led by President Donald Trump and his administration, mediated the agreements. Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain were the initial signatories, with Sudan and Morocco joining later.

Key figures included Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner (senior advisor), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE leadership, and Bahraini officials. Later expansions involved Sudanese, Moroccan, Kazakhstani, and other regional leaders.

TimelineAI-assisted

August 13, 2020: UAE-Israel normalization agreement announced. September 11, 2020: Bahrain agreement announced. September 15, 2020: Both agreements formally signed at the White House.

December 2020: Sudan agreed to normalize relations. December 2020: Morocco agreed to normalize relations. July 2025: Trump administration reported seeking expansion to Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. November 2025: Kazakhstan announced agreement to join the Accords.

What happened

History Agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain Signatory nations of the September 15, 2020, agreements     Bahrain     Israel     United Arab Emirates Main articles: Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement and Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement When Netanyahu took office in May 2020, he hinted that his cabinet would begin discussing annexation of parts of the West Bank, as envisioned in the Trump peace plan, in July. [ 1 ] [

Aftermath Protests and violence After Trump left office, in February 2021, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that "the United States will continue to urge other countries to normalize relations with Israel" and that normalization is "not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace... We hope that Israel and other countries in the region join together in a common effort to build bridges and...

The Abraham Accords are a set of agreements that established diplomatic normalization between Israel and several Arab states, beginning with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Announced in August and September 2020 and signed in Washington, D.C. on September 15, 2020, the Accords were mediated by the United States under President Donald Trump. The UAE and Bahrain became the first Arab countries to formally recognize Israel since Jordan in 1994. In the months that followed,

September 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1983Israel
  2. 1995Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133
  3. 2001Championship Auto Racing Teams
  4. 2004National Hockey League
  5. 2008Lehman Brothers
  6. 20082008 financial crisis
  7. 2011Gleision Colliery mining accident
  8. 2013Ivan Kulesh
  9. 2017Parsons Green train bombing
  10. 2020Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
  11. 2020Abraham Accords

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Sources

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“Abraham Accords”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/abraham-accords-2020-september-15, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Abraham Accords happen?

September 15 2020 — 6 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

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