Trump’s MBS script gets a reality check: Saudi Arabia sets its own terms as Israel watches nervously

Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords sounds like a small headline, because the two have been unofficial friends for decades. So why does Washington want to celebrate it like a historic handshake? The answer lies in who’s watching. The Abraham Accords were designed to make Israel more acceptable in the region by negotiating friendships, not resolving conflicts. And now, with Israel’s global reputation at one of its lowest points and Gaza still in crisis, Donald Trump is trying to revive the deal, not in the Middle East first, but in Central Asia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has drawn a red line, no recognition of Israel without a real roadmap to a Palestinian state. So Kazakhstan is not the big story, it’s just the opening move in a much bigger negotiation. The real test comes when Riyadh lands in Washington.