As the election looms, US President Donald Trump has pushed through the diplomatic deal in the Middle East between Israel and two Arab states signed at the White House, while feverishly attempting a peace deal between the Taliban and Afghan government 7,000 miles away in Qatar to stake a campaign claim to global statesmanship.

While representatives of the Taliban and the US-backed Afghan government were meeting for what Trump hopes will be an agreement to end the conflict in that country, his special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was trying to assuage India and wrangle from Pakistan an assurance that the terrorist organisation it backed would make the deal.

The Taliban deal will allow him to announce that the US after 19 years would be able to extricate its military from the Afghan quagmire under his leadership and keep the promise made before his 2016 election.

The US military has announced that it would be withdrawing several thousand troops from Afghanistan and Iraq before November, leaving only the bare minimum force there.

Trump couldn't pull off a peace deal between Israelis and the Palestinians that he said his son-in-law Jared Kushner was pursuing.

So the agreement between Israel and the two countries is a consolation prize – but it could pave the way for more Arab countries to break ranks with the Palestinians and recognise Israel, especially because it appears to have the approval of Saudi Arabia.

It may even get the Palestinians to resume talks with Israel.