Encouraging the Expansion and Strengthening of the Abraham Accords to Urge Other Nations to Normalize Relations with Israel and Ensure That Existing Agreements Reap Tangible Security and Economic Benefits for the Citizens of Those Countries and All Peoples in the Region
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H. Res. 311) encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H. Res. 311
Whereas May 14, 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel;
Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the United States officially recognized Israel as a State;
Whereas Israel has been designated by the United States Government as a major non-NATO ally;
Whereas, in 2014, Congress designated Israel as a ``major strategic partner'';
Whereas the United States and Israel have a close and robust bilateral relationship marked by strong people-to- people ties and close cooperation on a wide range of issues including defense, diplomacy, energy, cybersecurity, agriculture, science, and space;
Whereas the United States and Israel have signed three 10- year memoranda of understanding, in which the United States committed to provide $26,700,000,000 between fiscal year 1999 and fiscal year 2008, $30,000,000,000 between fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2018, and $38,000,000,000 between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2028;
Whereas Congress has appropriated amounts in accordance with such memoranda of understanding, reflecting the two countries' shared priorities in the region;
Whereas, in late 2020 and early 2021, Israel reached agreements, known collectively as the Abraham Accords, to improve or normalize its relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan; and
Whereas these agreements build upon the decades-long leadership of the United States and other governments in supporting efforts to broker peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) encourages the United States and Israel to continue to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation across the full spectrum of economic, security, and civilian issues;
(2) encourages the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region;
(3) expresses continued support for security assistance to Israel as outlined in the United States-Israel Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that Israel can defend itself by itself; and
(4) supports Israel's robust involvement as an active member of the community of nations to benefit Israel and the United States as partners who share common values and a commitment to democracy.
Mr. Speaker, this week we are marking an incredible milestone, 75 years since the establishment of the State of Israel.
Since the day Israel was founded, it faced numerous existential threats, and yet today, Israel is a thriving democracy with a robust economy and one of the world's most capable militaries. Most importantly, the United States and Israel have stood shoulder to shoulder together since day one.
Over seven-and-a-half decades, we have worked as friends and partners, and we will continue to work together to overcome shared challenges and reach new triumphs.
The United States has long supported Israel's right and ability to defend herself against threats. Our long-term commitment to Israel's security includes the $3.3 billion per year in foreign military financing assistance and support for defense technology development. One of the great successes of this support is the Iron Dome air defense system.
In May of 2021 when Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched more than 4,000 rockets toward Israel, it was the Iron Dome that shot those weapons out of the sky, greatly limiting the number of casualties in this terrifying conflict.
After this escalation, Congress voted overwhelmingly to resupply the Iron Dome to help Israel keep its citizens safe.
The United States will always stand with Israel in its fight against terrorism. Our close partner is also vital to combating the global threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile arsenal, armed UAV attacks, as well as Iran's support for international terrorism, hostage-taking, and human rights abuses.
Simply put, a nuclear Iran is unacceptable, both for the United States, our ally Israel, and for the world.
We are also in full agreement that the IRGC is a foreign terrorist organization, and this designation should remain in place.
We are seeing Iran's malign influence spread well beyond the Middle East. Iran is orchestrating terror plots against Americans on U.S. soil.
Iran continues to supply Russia with lethal drones and other forms of support for its war of aggression in Ukraine.
Moreover, Iran is deepening its cooperation with Communist China who continues to threaten the global balance of power through their malign activities around the globe and hostility toward Taiwan.
Responding to Iran's global threat and its unholy alliance with Russia and China will be a generational challenge, but the United States and Israel are prepared to respond.
It is clear that others have taken note of how much the United States and Israel accomplish when we work together.
That is why in 2020, President Trump and his team succeeded in brokering the first normalization agreements between Israel and its neighbors in over 25 years.
The Abraham Accords are transformational for the Middle East. I was proud to be at the White House for the signing ceremony of these historic agreements. Now the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco join Egypt and Jordan in having full diplomatic relations with Israel.
The accords open the door to important cooperation, including to address the shared threat posed by Iran that is making the Middle East and North Africa safer and more prosperous.
These countries are working together on free trade, energy, water, and, of course, defense cooperation, like the Middle East Air Defense Alliance, now that Israel is a part of Central Command.
This is a generational shift in the Middle East and one that promotes peace and prosperity in the region. That is why we need to invest in the positive progress of growing and deepening the Abraham Accords as this resolution outlines.
We need to put our diplomatic might into trying to achieve the kinds of big breakthroughs that created the Abraham Accords almost 3 years ago.
I was pleased to see Oman and Saudi Arabia begin allowing overflights of Israeli planes. It is a huge step forward, but we need to keep thinking bigger until we get to the game changer that would be full diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
On behalf of the American people, I congratulate our Israeli friends on everything they have accomplished in their first 75 years.
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), the author of this resolution, who made it just in the nick of time.
I thank Ms. Manning, Mr. Schneider, and Mrs. Wagner for leading on this important resolution. On a personal note, I have to thank my own father who fought in World War II and was a bombardier on a B-17 who bombed the Nazis. He participated in 32 bombing missions, including Operation Overlord.
My father's generation liberated Europe from the threats and the horrors of the Nazis and fascism. They liberated the Jewish people from the horrors surrounding the Holocaust, which is unimaginable. That generation brought the State of Israel into existence, and that is our pact with Israel.
Since 1948, Israel has been our best friend and our strongest ally in the Middle East. Israel has also been a true beacon of hope and democracy in the Middle East.
I look forward to a day, as I know they envisioned at the time of its creation in 1948, that even though these forces still exist today of anti-Semitism in Iran and other nations, that one day we will achieve true peace in the Middle East. I look forward to the day that Israel can coexist peacefully with its surrounding neighbors in the region and with the world.
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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