Netanyahu pleads with US lawmakers for help in expanding Abraham Accords

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

As the Arab world continues to rebuild ties with Iran and Syria, Israel finds itself increasingly isolated while facing internal turmoil

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 24 April urged a US congressional delegation led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to push for expanding the so-called Abraham Accords, a Trump-era normalization agreement between Israel and four Arab states.

“The prime minister thanked Congressman Jeffries and the members of the delegation for their support for the State of Israel and emphasized to them the importance of the relationship between Israel and the United States,” Netanyahu’s office said in a press release following the meeting.

Monday’s visit by the 12-member congressional delegation comes at a time when support for Israel among US democrats is dipping – and as Sudan, one of the Arab nations that signed the Accords, is mired in chaos.

Nonetheless, republicans in the US House of Representatives, supported by some democrats, are calling on Congress to expand the reach of the Abraham Accords at a time when Israel finds itself increasingly isolated as Arab normalization with Iran and Syria barrels forward.

During an interview on CBS on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed that dwindling support for Israel in the US can be traced to its “demonization” in the media, which he said emphasizes the “collateral damage” caused by Israeli troops and extremist settlers who have killed over 100 Palestinians since the start of the year.

“I think we have to work harder to persuade our Democratic colleagues – or those of our Democratic colleagues who forget perhaps that Israel is the solitary democracy in [West Asia] – that America has no better friend and no better ally than Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The embattled Israeli premier also commented on an announcement made by Biden last month, in which the US leader stressed Netanyahu would not be invited to the White House “in the near term.”

“It’s an internal matter we have to resolve, and the way we’re doing it is by seeking consensus,” Netanyahu added.