Bipartisan effort in Congress looks to strengthen education on the Abraham Accords

Two members of Congress, one Republican and one Democrat, unveiled a new bill on Thursday that seeks to increase education on the Abraham Accords at the U.S. State Department.

The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab-Israeli normalization. The first agreements, between Israel and Bahrain and Israel and the United Arab Emirates, involved both diplomatic and economic matters. They were mediated by the United States and finalized in 2020. Later other countries joined the accords, such as Morocco and Sudan, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The new Promoting Education on the Abraham Accords for Comprehensive Engagement (PEACE) Act, which was introduced by Arizona GOP Rep. Abe Hamadeh and Illinois Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider, will teach U.S diplomats about the Accords, and thereby strengthen diplomatic engagement. 

"This legislation will serve to strengthen our great nation's diplomatic engagement by institutionalizing pro-America, pro-Israel training on the Abraham Accords," Hamadeh said in a statement. "Our future diplomats must be equipped to advance regional cooperation instead of fashionable anti-normalization rhetoric, in order to bring long-term stability and security to the region."

The congressman said the bipartisanship of the bill should signal that the U.S. is "committed to the peace and prosperity" that were promised in the Accords.

The bill instructs the State Department to teach courses on the Accords, along with other normalization agreements like peace agreements between Egypt and Jordan. The courses would be created to "provide an understanding of these agreements’ diplomatic history, implementation strategies, and implications for regional peace,” the bill reads.

“The Abraham Accords have reshaped the Middle East, proving that peace with Israel is not only possible, but profoundly beneficial for the entire region,” Schneider said. "As new opportunities emerge for cooperation ... it’s vital that our diplomats understand both the promise and the complexity of these agreements. 

"The PEACE Act will ensure the United States remains a committed, informed partner in advancing normalization, deepening ties with Israel, and expanding the circle of peace," he added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.