House Foreign Affairs Committee hosts first-ever forum with Abraham Accords ambassadors

It has been more than six years since the Abraham Accords were the first-ever congressional forum between HFAC Members and Abraham Accords Ambassadors, signed in September 2020. In those years, much has happened, and there have been many attempts to push the Accords forward and expand their role. On November 11, US Representative Brian Mast, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), posted on X that he had “convened the first-ever congressional forum between HFAC Members and Abraham Accords Ambassadors.”

The Congressman added that “the discussion focused on strengthening regional cooperation, addressing challenges, and Congress’s role in advancing the next chapter of the Abraham Accords.” The meeting is important because it continues to show that the Accords are relevant and helps bring together diplomats and members of Congress.

Youssef Amrani, the Ambassador of Morocco to the US, praised the meeting. “At the Capitol, I took part in a timely and engaging roundtable hosted by Congressman Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, bringing together members of the Committee and the Ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain and Israel.” The ambassador added that “we exchanged views on the progress made under the Abraham Accords, evolving regional dynamics and the prospects for advancing cooperation and strengthening partnerships. A valuable opportunity to reaffirm the importance of dialogue and sustained diplomatic engagement in shaping a more peaceful and prosperous region.”

The meeting received other praise on the Hill. Congressman Andy Barr from Kentucky noted that “the Abraham Accords were a historic peace deal to advance relations between Israel and multiple Arab countries. I look forward to working with all parties involved to strengthen the Abraham Accords.” Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan wrote that he was glad to be part of “this special meeting today.”

Brian Mast has been well known for his support of Israel over the years. A US military veteran, he has been a member of Congress from Florida since 2017. He recently won reelection. Congressman Andy Barr from Kentucky also recently won his race. He has been in Congress since 2013. Bill Huizenga lost his election in Michigan. He had represented his district since 2011.

How the midterms will reshape the committee 

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HFAC) has 53 members, of whom 28 are Republicans and 25 are Democrats. That is expected to change with the incoming Congress after Democrats swept the elections.

It appears the Democrats flipped 43 seats in the election, which would bring their estimated total to 259 seats in Congress, with the Republicans holding 176.

Expanding the Abraham Accords after the Iran war 

HFAC held a meeting earlier this year about the Abraham Accords. A hearing titled “Building a New Regional Security Architecture: The Next Phase of the Abraham Accords” took place on July 22, 2026, at the Rayburn House Office Building.

Former US ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro called for renewed efforts to expand the Abraham Accords at that July meeting. Shapiro, an Atlantic Council distinguished fellow, said the agreements had survived the regional turmoil following October 7, 2023, and helped facilitate unprecedented Israeli security cooperation with Gulf states, including the deployment of Iron Dome systems to the UAE.

However, he warned that the conflict with Iran, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the unresolved Palestinian issue threatened further regional integration. Shapiro recommended reviving normalization talks with Saudi Arabia, advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and pursuing security agreements between Israel and Lebanon and Syria. “Expanding the Abraham Accords would entrench regional integration as an organic force to help stabilize the region through interdependence and partnership,” he said, urging Washington to prioritize regional diplomacy.

In his statement at the July meeting, Shapiro noted that “since the war with Iran began on February 28, Israel deployed Iron Dome missile defense systems and personnel to the UAE, the first time the system had ever been deployed outside Israel or the United States.” He also added that “in 2022, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid worked with the Biden administration to launch the Negev Forum, a framework for regional cooperation that included Israel, the United States, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, and Morocco, which focused on shared challenges in the fields of education, health, tourism, food and water security, energy, and regional security.” This was an important initiative, and it is possible that the Middle East may now be able to turn the page on recent conflicts and return to this optimism and cooperation.