Israel calls on European Union to establish caucus to promote the Abraham Accords, advance Arab-Israeli peace and security

Knesset Member Ruth Wasserman Lande – who serves as co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus in the Israeli parliament – this week called on the European Union to establish a steering committee to promote the Abraham Accords and policies related to their implementation.

Speaking at a conference in Paris organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET) and Netanya Academic College and hosted by the French Senate, Wasserman Lande also instructed participants that “Europe must also create a Pro-Abraham Accords Caucus at the European parliament, which shall liaise with its counterparts in the Knesset and the US Congress and Senate, as well as with our regional partners-in the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain.”

She said the key to fighting terrorism in the region is strengthening the accords and the countries joining or supporting them. 

Wasserman Lande, a member of the Blue & White party and a key advisor to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, was invited to participate in the conference along with MK Ofir Akunis, another co-chair of the Knesset’s Abraham Accords Caucus. She also serves as a member of the ALL ISRAEL NEWS Advisory Board.

She shared her speech with ALL ISRAEL NEWS and said that the EU embassy in Israel has already been in contact with Akunis and her on issues pertaining to the Abraham Accords. 

“The EU has demonstrated an interest, especially in the past year, in the Abraham Accords,” Wasserman Lande told ALL ISRAEL NEWS shortly after the event. “They are becoming an anchor for our activities, alongside the American Embassy,” 

She highlighted three key reasons for EU interest: economic, the Iran threat, and the direct impact of Middle East regional instability on Europe.

“Instability in the region affects them,” Wasserman Lande said, highlighting the example how the Syrian civil war led to floods of Syrian immigrants flocking to Europe.

“There is a need to impress on the Europeans that the Abraham Accords is not just regional or Israeli-Arab, but an international issue that has repercussions on economic development, energy, immigration and issues pertaining to Iran,” she said. “I think the security issues…are very high on the European agenda.” 

Wasserman Lande called on the European Union and America to unite with regional figures in the Gulf and the Middle East against Iran, Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood and Hezbollah.

“The American Administration must take a stronger and clearer stance towards this axis of evil, continue to strongly support Egypt, and strengthen the weakening and near-hysterical regime in Jordan, and simultaneously mend its extremely jittery ties with the Gulf,” she told listeners. 

The event was also attended by America's Robert Greenway, president and executive director of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute.

Greenway served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs for the National Security Council from 2017 to 2021.

There was also a representative of the U.S. Embassy at the event in Paris. 

“There is a completely global village,” Wasserman Lande told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. “We see that even more now that there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, and we can see how this affects the entire world.”

She highlighted issues of water, energy and food security, all of which have been put at risk by the Russian invasion. 

Specifically, the Ukraine invasion has threatened global wheat supplies, she noted, leading to fears of food insecurity in several parts of the world, including in Egypt.

“In the past, we have seen revolutions in Egypt over the price of bread,” she said. “A revolution in Egypt would have tremendous repercussions for Europe and the U.S., and of course Israel.”

“It is important that we have a platform in which there can be international cohesion in the thinking, brainstorming and coordination,” she concluded.