Rep. Bowman Ends Co-Sponsorship of Bill Strengthening Abraham Accords

Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) announced in a letter to his constituents on February 15 that he will be withdrawing his co-sponsorship of a bill that would enhance the Abraham Accord agreements forged between Israel and various Middle East countries in 2020, as first reported by Jewish Currents and Jewish Insider (JI).

The bill, titled “Israel Relations Normalization Act,” would require the State Department to submit annual reports to Congress on how the United States can further the goals of the agreements, according to Jewish Insider. The bill currently has 328 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives with a nearly 50-50 split of Republicans and Democrats.

In his letter, Bowman wrote that his J Street-led trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories in November as well as “further conversation” made him realize that the bill was not the best step forward for peace. “I became aware that the deals that this bill supports and seeks to pursue, have included deals at odds with human rights and safety for everyday people in the region, including the recognition of Morocco’s control over Western Sahara, and conversations about arms sales with the United Arab Emirates,” he wrote. “In the end, it is my estimation that these actions will only escalate violence in the Middle East and make already vulnerable communities less safe. This agreement to normalize relations unhelpfully isolates Palestine and Western Sahara when what we need is a process that engages them.”

The political advocacy arm of Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish group that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, tweeted: “This is a critically important move from @JamaalBowmanNY that sends a clear message: Trump-era weapons deals with authoritarian regimes are not about a just peace and they’re at odds with everything progressives are fighting for. Every progressive should join in this ‘no’ vote.”

This is a critically important move from @JamaalBowmanNY that sends a clear message: Trump-era weapons deals with authoritarian regimes are not about a just peace and they're at odds with everything progressives are fighting for. Every progressive should join in this 'no' vote. https://t.co/mQ4xVGTPih

— Jewish Voice for Peace Action (@JvpAction) February 16, 2022

Justin Charles, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) National Political Committee (NPC), told Jewish Currents that they view it as a step in the “right direction” for Bowman. DSA had said in December that they would not yet endorse Bowman’s re-election after he went on the J Street trip and voted to provide Iron Dome funding, but stopped short of expelling him altogether. 

Sydney Ghazarian, who is also a member of DSA’s NPC, tweeted that DSA had listed withdrawal from co-sponsoring the bill as one of their “conditions.” “I’m glad that we worked with @JamaalBowmanNY and that he is following through,” she wrote. Bowman’s office did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment on whether DSA influenced Bowman’s reversal on the matter. However, a source familiar with Bowman’s thinking told the Journal that the congressman had weighed the decision since October after discussions with various constituents and groups. Some of the groups that Bowman had met with on the matter included Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Just Foreign Policy, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Code Pink, IfNotNow, Jewish Vote, J Street as well as various local rabbis.

This was one of the conditions the @DemSocialists NPC set during our discussion with Bowman— a critical move for Palestinian liberation. I’m glad that we worked with @JamaalBowmanNY and that he is following through. https://t.co/NlxqwKV4NA

— Syd (@SydneyAzari) February 16, 2022

A group of New York rabbis wrote a letter expressing disappointment in Bowman’s decision. The letter, obtained by JI, lauded the Abraham Accords as “a breakthrough in Middle East diplomacy” for “strengthening ties between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries that had long sought to isolate and delegitimize a nation recognized by the international community since 1948. The Accords will provide economic and strategic opportunities for the advancement of all its member nations, and will most importantly, strengthen efforts to defend states against Iran’s regional aggression.” They called Bowman’s decision to withdraw his sponsorship of the bill “especially surprising and disappointing.” “His withdrawal of support for this important piece of legislation, which is poised to improve Mideast stability, economic opportunity, and which will disincentivize some of the region’s most egregious sponsors of terror, is lamentable, and will surely be received with bewilderment and disapproval by many voters in Rep. Bowman’s district,” the letter stated.

Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) tweeted, “One cannot claim to oppose the economic and diplomatic isolation of Israel yet oppose the Abraham Accords because it fails to economically and diplomatically isolate Israel. That makes no sense even by the distorted logic of the [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement. One can and should advocate for Palestinian dignity and sovereignty without delegitimizing Israel as a Jewish state or delegitimizing the Abraham Accords as a [bona fide] breakthrough for peace.”

He added: “The Abraham Accords PREVENTED the annexation of the West Bank, which, had it not been prevented, would have foreclosed even the possibility of a two-state solution. Thank God cooler heads prevailed.”

One cannot claim to oppose the economic and diplomatic isolation of Israel yet oppose the Abraham Accords because it fails to economically and diplomatically isolate Israel. That makes no sense even by the distorted logic of the BDS movement.

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 16, 2022

One can and should advocate for Palestinian dignity and sovereignty without delegitimizing Israel as a Jewish state or delegitimizing the Abraham Accords as a bonafide breakthrough for peace.

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 16, 2022

The Abraham Accords PREVENTED the annexation of the West Bank, which, had it not been prevented, would have foreclosed even the possibility of a two-state solution. Thank God cooler heads prevailed.

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 16, 2022

The Simon Wiesenthal Center also tweeted, “Shame @JamaalBowmanNY caved to extremists. Peace begets peace. Israelis and Arabs from Gulf to Morocco to Sudan expanding peace, mutual respect, and cooperation. Nightmare for terrorist Hamas, corrupt pay-to-slay-Jews Palestinian Authority.”

Shame @JamaalBowmanNY caved to extremists. Peace begets peace. Israelis and Arabs from Gulf to Morocco to Sudan expanding peace, mutual respect, and cooperation. Nightmare for terrorist Hamas, corrupt pay-to-slay-Jews Palestinian Authority. https://t.co/LUV41TUfk5

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) February 16, 2022

Marcus Frias, a spokesperson for Bowman, said in a statement to the Journal: “The Congressman values and welcomes the community’s engagement with the legislative process and takes their thoughts and suggestions seriously. Last night, following many thoughtful and educational conversations with his community, the Congressman sent the letter to constituents to inform them of his decision.”