Massey, 18 Democrats vote against Resolution Respecting US-Israel Relations, Expanding the Abraham Accords

Rep. Thomas Massie and 18 House Democrats on Tuesday voted against a resolution honoring US-Israel relations on Israel’s Independence Day and expressed support for expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords — the 2020 agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Israel. Emirates and Bahrain.

the Accuracy – which received bipartisan support – cleared the chamber by a 401-19 vote. This year marks 75 years since Israel declared its independence.

Massie, who frequently votes against legislation on international matters, was the only Republican to oppose the measure.

“In the end, it just didn’t make sense for me to vote for a bill praising the foreign aid that I’ve voted against for the past 10 years,” he said in a statement.

He was joined by 18 Democrats, 17 of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Progressives who voted against the measure included Representatives Jamal Bowman (New York), Corey Bush (Mo.), Andre Carson (India), Marc Desaulnier (Calif.), Jesus “Choy” Garcia (Illinois), Raul Grijalva (Arizona .). , Jared Hoffman (California), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Hank Johnson (Georgia), Summer Lee (Penn), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Marc Buchan (Wis.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass .), Delia Ramirez (Illinois), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and Nydia Velazquez (New York).

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota), who is not a member of the Progressive Caucus, also opposed the decision.

It was not immediately clear why House Democrats voted against the legislation. But progressives have regularly criticized the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians, particularly under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

according to Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, resolutions similar to the one introduced are introduced on Tuesdays every five years to mark Israel’s Independence Day, known as Yom Hatzamuth. However, this year’s edition reportedly differed from previous editions because it did not refer to the two-state solution.

The measure discussed on Tuesday specifically calls for “encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to induce other countries to normalize relations with Israel and to ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all the peoples of the region.”

The Abraham Accords, signed during the Trump administration, led to the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, making Abu Dhabi the first Arab country to establish relations with Tel Aviv in more than two decades. Bahrain also signed the agreements after statements from Sudan and Morocco to strengthen relations with Israel.

The resolution also said the House encouraged Washington and Tel Aviv to “continue to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation” in economic, security and civil matters. It “expresses its continued support for security assistance to Israel as outlined in the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding to ensure Israel’s ability to defend itself on its own.”

In addition, the resolution stated that the House “supports Israel’s strong participation as an active member of the community of nations in favor of Israel and the United States as partners who share common values ​​and a commitment to democracy.”

The sponsors of the resolution praised the approval of the House of Representatives for the measure.

“The United States and Israel have stood together as partners since Israel’s founding 75 years ago to overcome common challenges and global threats,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. statement. Together, we have achieved major milestones, such as the signing of the historic Abraham Accords. I look forward to continuing the strong tradition of friendship and partnership between our two countries.”

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-C) highlighted the history of the “unusual and enduring alliance” between Washington and Tel Aviv.

For 75 years, the United States and Israel have forged an extraordinary and enduring alliance based on our shared interests and core values. Together, our two countries have championed democracy, shared technological achievements, increased regional security, and celebrated our shared core values.”

“On the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence, I am proud of the achievements our countries have achieved together, including the historic Abraham Accords, and I look forward to strengthening the historic relationship between the United States and Israel, and the two-state solution in the coming years.”