Washington, DC – In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa, joins The Philos Project in applauding the creation of the bicameral, bipartisan congressional Abraham Accords Caucus.
The Caucus aims to promote further normalization agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbor states. The Caucus’ inaugural members include Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), David Trone (D-MD), Ann Wagner (R-MO), and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
According to Caucus co-chair, Senator Lankford, the Caucus will serve to continue the Accords’ momentum between administrations, irrespective of party, keeping the White House, the State Department, and Congress synchronized toward peace.
The Abraham Accords, initiated in 2020, charted a new course in the history of Arab-Israeli relations, with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco agreeing to fully recognize and normalize diplomatic relations with the State of Israel.
“We are encouraged by the ongoing diplomatic efforts to advance a culture of peace among the great Abrahamic faith communities,” said Bishop Gregory Mansour, IDC religious advisor and bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron, Brooklyn, NY.
According to Robert Nicholson, IDC policy advisor and president of The Philos Project, “growing normalization and peace between Jews, Christians, and Muslims is one of the important issues of our times, a move from Arab-Israeli conflict to Arab-Israeli cooperation. Pluralism and human rights will be better served when countries can learn to respect one another. Our task is to seize on this new momentum, help it to grow, and steer it for the good of the entire region – including for Christians.”
“We applaud and look forward to working with the Abraham Accords Caucus as a conduit to expand advocacy and strengthen efforts for peace in the Middle East,” said IDC executive director Richard Ghazal. “The sustainability of peace in the Holy Land enables and supports the preservation of the Middle East’s historic Christian communities,” Ghazal continued.
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