De-securitizing and Normalizing a Regional Actor: The Case of Israel and Abraham Accords

Observers of Middle East politics are often inclined to position the Abraham Accords as a diplomatic achievement for Israel, suggesting that its neighbors have willingly or reluctantly transitioned from their long-standing and conservative diplomatic positions to more amicable relations with Israel. While this perspective holds some validity, the accord itself sheds light on the process of de-securitizing a regional actor that was once perceived as a security threat. This chapter underscores the relevance of the realist approach to understanding national interests and how realism, among other intriguing theories, elucidates the normalization of relations between Arab states and Israel, leading to the de-securitization of Israel. To provide clarity on this transformation, the chapter initially delves into the identification of the various categories of threat perception that Israel's neighbors hold. Grounded in secondary data—existing scholarly research on the subject—the chapter conducts a qualitative analysis of the normalization of ties between Arab states and Israel. Ultimately, the chapter substantiates the claim that normalization equates to the de-securitization of Israel and the subsequent diversification of diplomatic, economic, and technological opportunities that also encompass Israel.