On the occasion of the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, experts examine the latest developments in regional integration and the future opportunities for advancing relations between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors.
About the event
On Wednesday, September 13, 2023 the N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, hosted a public event marking the third anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and its regional neighbors.
This event examined developments in regional integration and cooperation in the fields of security, trade, and people-to-people engagement. Participants explored future opportunities for advancing relations between the N7 countries and more broadly across the region. It featured the co-chairs of the House Abraham Accords Caucus, members of the Biden administration, as well as regional officials from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
The event took place in a hybrid format on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. ET at the Capitol Visitor Center. Participants joined in-person or virtually via YouTube.
After the event’s conclusion, a reception was hosted with the generous support of the Wilson Center. Brief remarks were made by members of the United States Congress.
The N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, seeks to broaden and deepen regional integration between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries. It works with governments to produce actionable recommendations to deliver tangible benefits to the people of the region.
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Agenda
12:30 – 12:45 p.m. ET
Welcome remarks
Oren Eisner
President
Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation and Family Office
William F. Wechsler
Senior Director
N7 Initiative
The Honorable Bradley Schneider
United States Representative (D-IL); Co-Chair, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
The Honorable Dean Phillips
United States Representative (D-MN); Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
United States Congress
The Honorable Joe Wilson
United States Representative (R-SC); Chairman, House Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
United States Congress
12:45 – 1:30 p.m. ET
Session 1: Regional security cooperation
The Honorable Kathy Manning
United States Representative (D-NC); Vice Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee
United States Congress
The Honorable Joe Wilson
United States Representative (R-SC); Chairman, House Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
United States Congress
H.E. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States
Army Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff
Senior Director for the Middle East
National Security Council
Moderator
David Makovsky
Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and Director, Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
1:25 – 2:10 p.m. ET
Session 2: People-to-people interaction and cultural engagement
The Honorable David Trone
United States Representative (D-MD); Co-Chair, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
The Honorable Ann Wagner
United States Representative (R-MO); Co-Chair, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
Aaron Keyak
Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism
United States Department of State
Geoff Ainsman
Director of Press and Public Diplomacy, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
United States Department of State
Moderator
Merissa Khurma
Program Director, Middle East Programs
Wilson Center
2:30 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Session 3: Trade and economic integration
The Honorable Don Bacon
United States Representative (R-NE); Member, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States
Chris Backemeyer
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Assistance Coordination and Regional and Multilateral Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
United States Department of State
Moderator
Shira Efron
Senior Director of Policy Research
Israel Policy Forum
3:20 – 4:05 p.m. ET
Session 4: What comes next
The Honorable Bradley Schneider
United States Representative (D-IL); Co-Chair, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
H.E. Daniel B. Shapiro
Senior Advisor, Regional Integration
United States Department of State
H.E. Michael Herzog
Ambassador of Israel to the United States
Moderator
Ed Husain
Director
N7 Initiative
4:10 – 4:20 p.m. ET
Closing Remarks
The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers
United States Representative (R-WA); Co-Chair, House Abraham Accords Caucus
United States Congress
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. ET
Reception
Hosted with the support of the
Photos
Previous
Lt. General Terry Wolff participating in the regional security panel at the event
The N7 Initiative hosted a timely event to commemorate the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords
N7 Director, Ed Husain (left), moderating a panel with Michael Herzog, the Ambassador of Israel to the United States (center), and US Representative Bradley Schneider (right).
US Representative Dean Phillips delivering opening remarks at the beginning of the event
US Representative Kathy Manning speaking about security issues during an N7 panel
US Representative Ann Wagner addressing the audience during the event
Merissa Khurma speaking during the cultural engagement panel
N7 Senior Director, Will Wechsler speaking at the Abraham Accords anniversary event
US Representative Joe Wilson addressing the audience before the first panel
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog (left), sitting with US Representative Bradley Schneider (right) during the final panel of the event
Lt. General Terry Wolff participating in the regional security panel at the event
The N7 Initiative hosted a timely event to commemorate the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords
N7 Director, Ed Husain (left), moderating a panel with Michael Herzog, the Ambassador of Israel to the United States (center), and US Representative Bradley Schneider (right).
US Representative Dean Phillips delivering opening remarks at the beginning of the event
US Representative Kathy Manning speaking about security issues during an N7 panel
US Representative Ann Wagner addressing the audience during the event
Merissa Khurma speaking during the cultural engagement panel
N7 Senior Director, Will Wechsler speaking at the Abraham Accords anniversary event
US Representative Joe Wilson addressing the audience before the first panel
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog (left), sitting with US Representative Bradley Schneider (right) during the final panel of the event
Lt. General Terry Wolff participating in the regional security panel at the eventNext
In the news
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Washington looks to Riyadh as Abraham Accords mark third anniversary
UAE envoy: De facto West Bank annexation unfolding, but our ability to stop it wanes
Lawmakers, administration officials, ambassadors discuss the future of the Abraham Accords
Israel and US express hope for Saudi deal
Follow the conversation on Twitter with @N7_Initiative and @AtlanticCouncil using #N7Initiative
The N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, seeks to broaden and deepen normalization between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries. It works with governments to produce actionable recommendations to deliver tangible benefits to their people.
