The Abraham Accords: Regional Impact on Hezbollah

Since its creation in 1948, Israel has fought several wars with its neighbours and the region has been a hotbed of hostility. This small Jewish state has frequently been in the headlines, most often due to its strained ties with Palestine, the perennial bone of contention between Israel and its Arab neighbours and the Muslim world at large; both clusters have supported the Palestine cause, advocating a two-state solution. With considerable backdoor diplomacy, 2020 witnessed traditional diplomatic ties turn a new leaf, via the Abraham Accords. Certain Arab countries, to the convenience of their national interests, normalised diplomatic relations with Israel, circumventing an outcry from the Muslim world, foremost due to the unresolved Palestinian conflict. The focus of this chapter will be on Hezbollah’s reaction to the normalising of these diplomatic links between Israel and its new allies. Hezbollah, though not an independent state is an entity which cannot be side-lined, it is a steadily growing force in Lebanon, along with being Iran’s key proxy; both, openly denounce Israel’s existence.