New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman withdrew his support for a bill that would help to expand the Abraham Accords, claiming that the agreement "isolates" Palestinians.
The Democrat, a member of the progressive Squad — a collection of lawmakers of color on Capitol Hill — announced in a letter to constituents of his intention to not back the bill.
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U.S. Congressman Jamaal Bowman speaks during his primary-night party, in New York, June 23, 2020
(Photo: AP)
Bowman represents New York's 16th congressional district, defeating 16-term incumbent Eliot Engel in the 2020 Democratic primary.
He has been less critical of Israeli policies than other Squad members such as Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American Democrat from Michigan who called Israel an "apartheid state" and voted against funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
In the letter, he said that some of the incentives of the Abraham Accords go against his values, such as the United Arab Emirates scoring the sale of advanced fighter jets and the U.S. recognizing Morocco's claim to Western Sahara.
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L-R: Bahrain FM Abdullatif al-Zayani, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Emirati FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan sign the Abraham Accords at the White House, September 16, 2020
(Photo: AFP)
The Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
The legislation to work on expanding the circle of Arab and Muslim countries establishing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state has overwhelming bipartisan support and is expected to pass.