11 Jan 2022; MEMO: A group of US lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives have launched the Abraham Accords Congressional Caucus to encourage more Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel. The caucus will be co-chaired by Senators James Lankford, Jacky Rosen, Joni Ernst and Cory Booker, as well as Representatives Cathy McMorris Rogers, Brad Schneider, Anne Wagner and David Trone.
"The caucus will provide an opportunity to strengthen the Abraham Accords by encouraging partnerships among the existing countries and expanding the agreement to include countries that do not currently have diplomatic relations with Israel," the group explained.
Israel signed normalisation deals — later dubbed the Abraham Accords — with the UAE and Bahrain at the White House in September 2020. It was viewed widely as a diplomatic coup for the then US President, Donald Trump. The two Gulf States were followed by Sudan and Morocco.
The co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, congratulated their US counterparts on Monday. "We look forward to working together with a shared goal of bringing peace and prosperity to the peoples of our region and beyond," said Ofir Akunis, a Likud member of the Knesset.
"The bipartisan, bicameral Abraham Accords Caucus will provide a unique opportunity for world leaders to come together in our common pursuit of creating a better, safer and more prosperous world for our children and grandchildren," Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican representative from the state of Washington, told Jewish Insider. "I am encouraged by the progress we have made, and I look forward to the amazing things we can accomplish together through our shared commitment to a better future in the name of peace."
US President Joe Biden has backed the normalisation deals since taking office last year. Senior aides have said that they are working to get more Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel after decades of enmity.
