Nearly five years after the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is reviving efforts to expand peace and economic cooperation in the Middle East—with potential benefits reaching as far as St. Louis.
On Feb. 20, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., announced the relaunch of the House Abraham Accords Caucus, alongside Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. The caucus aims to strengthen existing agreements while encouraging additional nations to join the accords.
In a statement to the Jewish Light, Wagner emphasized the local impact of the accords:
“I am confident the Abraham Accords Caucus is going to improve relations not just in the Middle East but also here at home in St. Louis,” Wagner said. “As co-chair, I have supported numerous efforts to develop and expand Israeli-Arab joint economic development programs, nondefense cooperation initiatives for U.S.-Israeli bilateral cybersecurity and agricultural programs, as well as defense coordination between the U.S., Israel and Middle Eastern allies. I look forward to continuing this important work with our Jewish community and advancing the ongoing achievements of the Abraham Accords.”
The bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus was originally launched in 2022 by Wagner, Schneider, Rep. David Trone, D-Md. and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to build on the success of the Abraham Accords, which were negotiated by the U.S. with Israel, Bahrain Morocco and the UAE.
Building on a historic peace agreement
The Abraham Accords, signed on Sept. 15, 2020, normalized diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later expanding to Sudan and Morocco. The agreement built upon previous peace treaties with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) and was widely seen as a significant step toward regional stability.
What’s next for the caucus?
As the U.S. navigates shifting geopolitical tensions, the caucus will focus on expanding partnerships and fostering economic cooperation among existing Abraham Accords signatories. Wasserman Schultz emphasized that broad bipartisan support will be key to furthering the initiative.
“Strengthening and expanding the Abraham Accords is critical to advancing peace in the Middle East,” she said. “We will be laser-focused on fostering broad bipartisan coalitions within Congress to provide the resources and tools needed to promote these normalization efforts.”
With regional tensions evolving and U.S.-Israel relations remaining a focal point of foreign policy, the House Abraham Accords Caucus aims to ensure the accords continue to grow—bringing security, prosperity and stability to the region and potentially creating new economic and diplomatic opportunities for St. Louis and beyond.
