Next Abraham Accords: Why Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Even Iran Could Join

Exclusive: Peace architect reveals countries quietly interested in normalization as personal diplomacy reshapes Middle East landscape

While the world focuses on military conflicts and diplomatic deadlocks, one Israeli woman’s friendships forged in Dubai playgrounds may hold the key to the next wave of Middle East peace agreements. Justine Zwerling, co-founder of the Mina Center and one of the original architects of people-to-people diplomacy under the Abraham Accords, believes several nations—including some that would shock observers—are positioned to join the normalization framework.

The Playground Diplomacy Revolution

Zwerling’s approach defies conventional wisdom about peace-making. Where traditional diplomacy starts in conference rooms with government officials, her model begins with children making friends and families sharing meals. This “playgrounds before parliaments” formula has proven remarkably effective in sustaining relationships even during wartime.

“The critical thing for my children was to make friends with Emirati children,” Zwerling explains. “From that moment that we arrived, it was like meeting our new family who are more than family until today.”

This personal approach paid unexpected dividends when conflict erupted. During missile attacks on Israel, something extraordinary happened: phones rang not from government hotlines, but from children’s bedrooms in the Gulf.

How One Woman’s UAE Friendships Are Reshaping Middle East Diplomacy

When air raid sirens wailed across Israel, Zwerling found herself racing to bomb shelters with her daughters. But rather than facing this terror alone, help came from thousands of miles away. Her Emirati and Bahraini friends would immediately call, connecting their children via video chat to comfort the frightened Israeli girls.

“So many times when the missiles were flying and I was running to the shelter with the kids, they would phone me and they would put their children on Zooms with my children to try and calm them down,” Zwerling recounts. “They have been the most important strength for me and so much hope and so much love.”

This wasn’t diplomacy as practiced in foreign ministries worldwide. This was something entirely new—peace built on genuine human connection that could withstand the pressures of war.

Love as Superpower: Israeli Advocate’s Recipe for Regional Stability

Zwerling’s philosophy centers on what she calls humanity’s greatest strategic asset. “Love is our superpower,” she declares, “and increasing that love and praying for Israel and praying for a better future because we know it’s on the way.”

This isn’t mere sentiment. The relationships she’s cultivated demonstrate practical resilience that government-to-government agreements often lack. Unlike the “cold peace” with Egypt and Jordan, where official relations exist but populations remain distant, the Abraham Accords created genuine cultural bridges.

The difference stems from understanding, Zwerling argues. UAE and Bahrain possessed sophisticated knowledge about regional terrorist organizations, having designated the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists years before the current conflict. “They understand very well the difficulties of the Muslim Brotherhood,” she notes, explaining how this shared perspective helped these nations see through propaganda campaigns.

The Secret List: Countries Quietly Waiting

When pressed about expansion prospects, Zwerling reveals information that could reshape regional calculations. Beyond frequently discussed candidates like Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon, she identifies unexpected possibilities.

“There’s Azerbaijan,” she states matter-of-factly, “and there are many other countries like Kuwait who are quietly interested. Some people are just waiting on the sidelines, but they’re really ready.”

But her most startling prediction involves America’s primary regional adversary.

Middle East Peace Architect Sees Iran Dancing With Israel

In perhaps the interview’s most remarkable moment, Zwerling extends her vision to Iran itself. Drawing on personal relationships that transcend current political realities, she offers a glimpse of possibilities that seem impossible today.

“Very much so from Lebanon, also Iran,” she says. “You know, my Iranian girlfriends, we grew up together and waiting for us to all be able to dance together.”

This isn’t wishful thinking from someone removed from harsh realities. Zwerling lives those realities daily—a ballistic missile struck just four houses from her home. Her husband serves in Israel’s reserves. Yet rather than hardening her heart, these experiences have strengthened her conviction about human connection’s transformative power.

Building Tomorrow’s Peace Treaties Today Through Personal Connections

The Mina Center’s strategy involves establishing relationships before formal diplomacy begins. This preemptive approach creates foundations that can survive political turbulence and electoral changes.

“We’re really focused on having those dialogues before those relationships formally happen,” Zwerling explains. “It’s building the friendships, the dialogues, and the cultural exchange which is so powerful.”

This methodology addresses a fundamental weakness in traditional peace processes: they often collapse when political winds shift because they lack popular support. By investing in grassroots relationships first, the Abraham Accords model creates constituencies for peace that transcend governmental changes.

Make Friends Before Making Deals

Zwerling’s advice to international leaders and peace advocates worldwide is straightforward: prioritize human connections over political calculations.

“I encourage everybody to grab it and reach out, not to be afraid to make new friends from strange countries because those are the people who, like you said about the grassroots, those are the people who will make it happen together with us.”

Even amid ongoing conflict, she maintains this approach. When trauma struck her community—the missile that nearly hit her home—her response exemplified her philosophy. Rather than retreating into fear, she organized dance activities for traumatized nursery children.

“Having activities and giving each other strength and empowering and loving is our superpower,” she declares, describing herself as “a phoenix that comes out of the ashes every day and recreates.”

The Abraham Accords Success Formula: Playgrounds Before Parliaments

What makes Zwerling’s predictions credible isn’t just her track record—though being among the first Israeli families to establish deep UAE ties certainly provides credibility. It’s her understanding that sustainable peace requires popular buy-in, not just elite agreements.

Traditional Middle East peace efforts have focused on convincing presidents and prime ministers. Zwerling’s approach recognizes that lasting change requires convincing mothers and fathers, teachers and students, business owners and customers. When children from former enemy nations become friends, their parents become invested in maintaining peace.

This bottom-up approach explains why Abraham Accords relationships have survived regional tensions that might have derailed purely governmental agreements. When personal friendships cross national boundaries, political disputes become family disagreements rather than existential conflicts.

The Expanding Circle

As regional dynamics continue shifting, Zwerling’s work suggests that the next phase of Middle East normalization may surprise observers. Countries dismissed as impossible partners may prove more willing than expected, while traditional diplomatic targets may remain elusive.

The key, according to this veteran peace architect, lies not in grand diplomatic gestures but in simple human connections—children learning each other’s languages, families sharing holidays, communities supporting each other through crises.

In a region where governmental promises have often proven fragile, these personal bonds may represent the most durable foundation for lasting peace. As Zwerling puts it, the future belongs to those willing to dance together, even when the music hasn’t started yet.

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