Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed display their copies of signed agreements as they participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, Sept. 15, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner

Lawmakers gathered Tuesday at an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee’s Center for a New Middle East to mark the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords, the historic series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states.

Speakers uniformly praised the accords as a bright spot in a region long defined by conflict, pointing to increased trade, cultural exchange, and security cooperation as proof of their durability. The gathering also underscored bipartisan support in Washington for the agreements, which were signed in 2020 by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, later joined by Morocco and Sudan. The speakers also emphasized the need to expand the Abraham Accords.

Among the participants were Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). 

But amid the celebration, many lawmakers struck a note of caution. Several referenced the ongoing war in Gaza and the rising tensions across the Middle East, warning that instability threatens to overshadow the progress made in the past five years. Some lawmakers also cautioned that Israel’s recent strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar might have stymied ceasefire efforts and set back the Jewish state’s relations in the Gulf. 

Lankford, co-Chair of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus, underscored the importance of bipartisan support for both Israel and the Abraham Accords, saying that the landmark series of normalization agreements are “not called Trump’s accords. It’s called the Abraham Accords.”

During US President Donald Trump’s first administration from 2017-2021, the White House helped broker the Abraham Accords, which are credited with helping to stabilize the relationship between Israel and many of its neighbors. 

Since returning to the White House, Trump has vowed to expand on the normalization agreements, with the ultimate goal of having Saudi Arabia join.

Lankford added that he noticed a difference in how countries involved in the Abraham Accords have handled the ongoing war in Gaza, noting that they have curtailed extremist behavior within their own populations. 

Ernst, co-chair of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus, indicated that she is hopeful that the accords will help strengthen Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors. She also lamented Israel’s recent strike in Qatar, noting Qatar’s status as an American ally and its integral role in mediating Gaza ceasefire negotiations. 

She also added that Saudi Arabia was very close to joining the Abraham Accords until the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Despite the setback, the lawmaker said she believes that Saudi Arabia remains open to normalizing relations in Israel after the war in Gaza concludes.