Two bipartisan U.S. senators have introduced a bill to deepen cooperation between U.S. and Middle East partners.
Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, are introducing the LINK Act on the fourth anniversary of the accords' signing, Fox News reported.
The legislation would establish a "military subject matter exchange program" to deepen cultural ties and strategic cooperation between U.S. troops and allies in the Middle East.
The bill comes at a time Israel is fighting in Gaza against the Hamas terrorists, who have received support from Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Hamas attacked and massacred more than 1,200 Israelis and took roughly 250 hostages on Oct. 7.
"In the face of emboldened Iranian aggression, I’m deepening the historic partnerships created through the Abraham Accords four years ago today," Ernst said, Fox News reported.
"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."
The Trump administration helped negotiate the Abraham Accords, which saw the normalization of relations between Israel and several key Arab states, among which were the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The accords marked the first time Israel had established peace with an Arab country since 1994, when Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty.
"Four years ago today, we were celebrating the signing of a historic peace deal in the Middle East. But right now, the world is on fire. We must build upon the Trump-era Abraham Accords, instead of letting them unravel due to the Biden-Harris admin’s appeasement," Ernst posted Sunday on X with an opinion column she wrote about how the U.S. must build upon the Trump-era Abraham Accords.
Ernst and Rosen previously introduced three Middle East-related bills that were signed into law.
The two senators in June introduced the Space Technology and Regional Security (STARS) Act that aims to counter space threats posed by Iran and its proxies.
"The next step to ending Iranian aggression is by deepening the United States’ international space partnerships to improve awareness of the Middle East," Ernst said in a release.
"After the success of the DEFEND Act and MARITIME Act in intercepting Iran-backed attacks at land and sea, the STARS Act will adapt this model to space and use 21st Century technology to deter Iran."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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