EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan pair of senators is introducing a new bill on the fourth anniversary of the Abraham Accords to deepen cooperation between U.S. and Middle East partners.
The LINK Act, brought forth by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, would establish a “military subject matter exchange program” to deepen cultural ties and strategic cooperation between American troops and allies in the Middle East.
“In the face of emboldened Iranian aggression, I’m deepening the historic partnerships created through the Abraham Accords four years ago today,” said Ernst.
“More cooperation among our Middle East partners is what Tehran fears. The LINK Act accomplishes this by coordinating military planning and creating a permanent and effective defense alliance. By working hand-in-hand with our partners, the strength and security of our nations grows.”
Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks during a ceremony on Christmas Eve at Bagram Air Base, in Afghanistan, on Dec. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
The pair of senators had three of their previous Middle East-related bills signed into law.
The Gulf States of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed a normalization deal with Israel in 2020, brokered by the U.S., known as the Abraham Accords.
As part of the agreements, UAE and Bahrain recognized Israel’s sovereignty and established full diplomatic relations. It was the first time Israel had established peace with an Arab country since 1994 with the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
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Sen. Joni Ernst speaks with reporters following the Senate Republicans weekly policy lunch on Capitol Hill, March 6, 2024. (Reuters/Bonnie Cash)
Sen. Jacky Rosen speaks during a news conference on June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In the months that followed, Sudan and Morocco signed deals to normalize relations with Israel.
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The bill comes at a time of sky-high tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Israel and Saudi Arabia had been nearing a deal that included the U.S. and would have normalized relations when Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The U.S. has been bolstering its relations with nations in the Middle East to counter the growing threat of a potential nuclear Iran – even ones with mixed human rights records like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
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The Biden administration recently lifted a hold on $320 million in military aid to Egypt that it had frozen in response to human rights concerns, bringing the total amount up to $1.3 billion transferred from Washington to Cairo this year.
Egypt is playing a central role in the talks between Hamas and Israel about a cease-fire agreement.