How It Happened

Trump’s Big Deal Part II: From Secret Alliance to the Abraham Accords

After Donald Trump’s peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians failed, there was a desperate attempt by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates to stop Israel from annexing part of the occupied West Bank. That effort led to the most significant Middle East peace agreement in a generation. With exclusive reporting, Axios Middle East correspondent Barak Ravid tells national political correspondent Jonathan Swan what led to Trump’s success and its effects. 

Note: This episode contains some explicit language. Credits: The senior producer is Ariana Gharib Lee. The senior editor is Ted Robbins. Dan Bobkoff is the executive producer. Sara Kehaulani Goo is the editor-in-chief. Our managing editors include Alison Snyder and Margaret Talev. Dave Lawler is the world editor. Sound design and mixing by Jeanne Montalvo and Alex Sugiura. Our series theme music is by Michael Hanf. Fact checking by Jacob Knutson.

Elon Musk vs. Twitter: In the fifth season of How it Happened, hosted by Axios business reporter Erica Pandey, Axios reporters cover the collision between Elon Musk and Twitter through conversations with insiders at Twitter and members of Musk’s inner circle.
How it Happened is an Axios podcast docu-series featuring instant histories. Each season, Axios reporters bring you behind closed doors to hear the people and decisions shaping the biggest stories of our time.
Trump’s Last Stand: In the first season of How it Happened, national political reporter Jonathan Swan reveals the inside story of Donald Trump’s last few months in office. The story starts with his COVID-19 recovery and ends with the insurrection at the Capitol.
The Next Astronauts: In the second season of How it Happened, Axios space reporter Miriam Kramer goes behind the scenes at SpaceX and the preparations for the first all-civilian mission into orbit.
Trump's Big Deal: In the third season of How it Happened, Axios’ Middle East correspondent Barak Ravid and national political reporter Jonathan Swan will uncover the surprising negotiations that led to the Abraham Accords, the most significant Middle East peace agreement in a generation.
Putin's Invasion: In the fourth season of How It Happened, Axios’ World editor David Lawler pulls together analysis and reporting from across the Axios newsroom to explain how the invasion of Ukraine happened in slow motion over 8 years and then all at once.