I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2748 

To encourage the normalization of relations with Israel, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 21, 2021 

Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. 

MEIJER, Mr. MEEKS, and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To encourage the normalization of relations with Israel, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Israel Relations Nor5 malization Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Support for peace between Israel and its 

9 neighbors has longstanding bipartisan support in 

10 Congress. 


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1 (2) For decades, the United States Congress 

2 has promoted Israel’s acceptance among Arab states 

3 and other relevant countries and regions and has en4 acted numerous laws opposing efforts to boycott, iso5 late, and stigmatize America’s ally, Israel. 

6 (3) The recent peace and normalization agree7 ments between Israel and several Arab states—the 

8 United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Mo9 rocco—have the potential to fundamentally trans10 form the security, diplomatic, and economic environ11 ment in the Middle East and North Africa and ad12 vance vital United States national security interests. 

13 (4) These agreements build upon the decades14 long leadership of the United States Government 

15 and other governments in helping Israel broker 

16 peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and promoting 

17 peace talks between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, and 

18 the Palestinians. 

19 (5) These agreements also build on decades 

20 long private diplomatic and security engagement be21 tween Israel and countries in the region. 

22 (6) These normalization and peace agreements 

23 could begin to transform the region by spurring eco24 nomic growth, enhancing technological innovation, 


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1 advancing understanding, and forging closer people2 to-people relations. 

3 (7) These agreements have the potential to pro4 mote investment, tourism, and direct flights, and 

5 promote cooperation on security, telecommuni6 cations, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the 

7 environment, water security and sustainable develop8 ment. 

9 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

10 It is the policy of the United States— 

11 (1) to expand and strengthen the Abraham Ac12 cords to encourage other nations to normalize rela13 tions with Israel and ensure that existing agree14 ments reap tangible security and economic benefits 

15 for the citizens of those countries; 

16 (2) to develop and implement a regional strat17 egy to encourage economic cooperation among Israel, 

18 Arab states, and the Palestinians to enhance the 

19 prospects for regional peace, respect for human 

20 rights, transparent governance, and cooperation to 

21 address water scarcity, climate solutions, health 

22 care, sustainable development, and other areas that 

23 result in benefits for residents of those countries; 

24 (3) to develop and implement a regional secu25 rity strategy that recognizes the shared threat posed 


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1 by Iran and violent extremist organizations, ensures 

2 sufficient United States deterrence in the region, 

3 builds partner capacity to address shared threats, 

4 and explores multilateral security arrangements built 

5 around like-minded partners; 

6 (4) to support and encourage government-to7 government and grassroots initiatives aimed at nor8 malizing ties with the state of Israel and promoting 

9 people-to-people contact between Israelis, Arabs, and 

10 peoples from other countries and regions, including 

11 by expanding and enhancing the Abraham Accords; 

12 (5) to continue to support a negotiated solution 

13 to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two 

14 states—a democratic Jewish state of Israel and a 

15 viable democratic Palestinian state—living side by 

16 side in peace, security, and mutual recognition; 

17 (6) to implement the Nita M. Lowey Middle 

18 East Partnership for Peace Act of 2020 (title VIII 

19 of division K of Public Law 116–260), which sup20 ports economic cooperation and peacebuilding efforts 

21 among Israelis and Palestinians; 

22 (7) to oppose efforts to delegitimize the state of 

23 Israel and legal barriers to normalization of relations 

24 with Israel; 


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1 (8) to work to combat anti-Semitism and sup2 port normalization of relations with Israel, including 

3 by countering anti-Semitic narratives on social 

4 media and state media and pressing for educational 

5 curriculum reform; and 

6 (9) to encourage partnerships and collaboration 

7 on climate solutions, water, health, sustainable de8 velopment, and other areas. 

9 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN AND 

10 EXPAND ABRAHAM ACCORDS AND OTHER 

11 NORMALIZATION AGREEMENTS WITH ISRAEL. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

14 the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Adminis15 trator of the United States Agency for International De16 velopment, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 

17 other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall 

18 develop and submit to the appropriate congressional com19 mittees a strategy on expanding and strengthening the 

20 Abraham Accords. 

21 (b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub22 section (a) shall also include each of the following ele23 ments: 

24 (1) An assessment of future staffing and 

25 resourcing requirements of entities within the DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:02 Jun 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2748.IH H2748

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1 partment of State, the United States Agency for 

2 International Development, the Department of De3 fense, and other appropriate Federal departments 

4 and agencies with responsibility to coordinate United 

5 States efforts to expand and strengthen the Abra6 ham Accords. 

7 (2) An assessment of the bilateral and multilat8 eral cooperation between Israel, Arab states, and 

9 other relevant countries and regions that have nor10 malized relations with Israel, including an assess11 ment of cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, 

12 scientific, technical, educational, and health fields 

13 and an assessment of roadblocks to increased co14 operation. 

15 (3) An assessment of bilateral and multilateral 

16 security cooperation between Israel, the United 

17 States, Arab states, and other relevant countries and 

18 regions that have normalized relations with Israel, 

19 including potential roadblocks to increased security 

20 cooperation, interoperability, and information shar21 ing. 

22 (4) An assessment of the likelihood of addi23 tional Arab states and other relevant countries and 

24 regions to normalize relations with Israel. 


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1 (5) An assessment of opportunities created by 

2 normalization agreements with Israel to advance 

3 prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestin4 ians. 

5 (6) A detailed description of how the United 

6 States Government will leverage diplomatic lines of 

7 effort and resources from other stakeholders (includ8 ing from foreign governments, international donors, 

9 and multilateral institutions) to encourage normal10 ization, economic development, and people-to-people 

11 programming. 

12 (c) FORM.— 

13 (1) UNCLASSIFIED MATTER.—Subject to para14 graph (2), the report required by subsection (a) and 

15 each of the elements described in paragraphs (1) 

16 through (5) of subsection (b) shall be submitted in 

17 unclassified form. 

18 (2) CLASSIFIED ANNEX.—The report required 

19 by subsection (a) shall also include a classified 

20 annex, transmitted separately, that contains only the 

21 matter included in the report pursuant to paragraph 

22 (6) of subsection (b). 

23 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

24 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con25 gressional committees’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

2 Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee 

3 on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; 

4 and 

5 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

6 Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee 

7 on Appropriations of the Senate. 

8 SEC. 5. REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PRO9 MOTE NORMALIZATION. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 

12 in coordination with the Administrator of the United 

13 States Agency for International Development and the 

14 heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, 

15 shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 

16 committees regarding options for United States inter17 national efforts to promote strengthening of ties between 

18 Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and re19 gions. 

20 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub21 section (a) shall also include each of the following ele22 ments: 

23 (1) A description of options for leveraging con24 tributions of international donors, institutions, and 

25 partner countries to facilitate people-to-people and 


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1 government-to-government relations between Israelis 

2 and Arabs. 

3 (2) Identification of existing relevant invest4 ment funds that support Israel-Arab state coopera5 tion and recommendations for how such funds could 

6 be used to support normalization and increase pros7 perity for all relevant stakeholders. 

8 (3) An assessment for creating an Abrahamic 

9 Center for Pluralism to prepare educational mate10 rials, convene international seminars, promote toler11 ance and pluralism, and bring together scholars as 

12 a means of advancing religious tolerance and coun13 tering political and religious extremism. 

14 (4) An assessment of the benefit to Israel and 

15 its neighbors of participating in a regional con16 ference on climate solutions, water, health, and sus17 tainable development. 

18 (5) An assessment of the feasibility and benefit 

19 of increasing the capacity of existing Department of 

20 State and United States Agency for International 

21 Development-funded programs for developing people22 to-people exchange programs for young people be23 tween Israel, Arab states, and other relevant coun24 tries and regions. 


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1 (6) Recommendations to improve Department 

2 of State cooperation and coordination, particularly 

3 between the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat 

4 Anti-Semitism, the Ambassador at Large for Inter5 national Religious Freedom, and the Director of the 

6 Office of International Religious Freedom, to combat 

7 the racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-Sem8 itism that hinder improvement of relations between 

9 Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and 

10 regions. 

11 (7) A proposal for the manner in which the 

12 United States Government and others can use exist13 ing Federal resources to counter Holocaust denial 

14 and anti-Semitism abroad. 

15 (8) An assessment of the value and feasibility 

16 of Federal support for inter-parliamentary exchange 

17 programs among Members of Congress, of the 

18 Knesset, and parliamentarians from Arab states and 

19 other relevant countries and regions, including 

20 through existing Federal programs that support 

21 such exchanges. 

22 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

23 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com24 mittees’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

2 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep3 resentatives; and 

4 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

5 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

6 SEC. 6. BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO NORMALIZATION 

7 WITH ISRAEL. 

8 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 

9 ‘‘Strengthening Reporting of Actions Taken Against the 

10 Normalization of Relations with Israel Act of 2021’’. 

11 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find12 ings: 

13 (1) The Arab League, an organization com14 prising 22 Middle Eastern and African countries 

15 and entities, has maintained an official boycott of 

16 Israeli companies and Israeli-made goods since the 

17 founding of Israel in 1948. 

18 (2) Longstanding United States policy has en19 couraged Arab League states to normalize their rela20 tions with Israel and has long prioritized funding co21 operative programs that promote normalization be22 tween Arab League States and Israel, including the 

23 Middle East Regional Cooperation program, which 

24 promotes Arab-Israeli scientific cooperation. 


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1 (3) While some Arab League governments are 

2 signaling enhanced cooperation with the state of 

3 Israel on the government-to-government level, most 

4 continue to persecute their own citizens who estab5 lish people-to-people relations with Israelis in non6 governmental fora, through a combination of judicial 

7 and extrajudicial retribution. 

8 (4) Some Arab League states maintain draco9 nian anti-normalization laws that punish their citi10 zens for people-to-people relations with Israelis, with 

11 punishments, including imprisonment, revocation of 

12 citizenship, and execution. Extrajudicial punish13 ments by these and other Arab states include sum14 mary imprisonment, accusations of ‘‘treason’’ in gov15 ernment-controlled media, and professional black16 listing. 

17 (5) Anti-normalization laws, together with the 

18 other forms of retribution, effectively condemn these 

19 societies to mutual estrangement and, by extension, 

20 reduce the possibility of conciliation and com21 promise. 

22 (6) Former Israeli President Shimon Peres said 

23 in 2008 at the United Nations that Israel agrees 

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1 tion to the conflict ‘‘will not achieve peace or provide 

2 security for the parties’’. 

3 (7) Despite the risk of retaliatory action, a ris4 ing tide of Arab civic actors advocate direct engage5 ment with Israeli citizens and residents. These in6 clude the Arab Council for Regional Integration, a 

7 group of 32 public figures from 15 Arab countries 

8 who oppose the boycott of Israel on the grounds that 

9 the boycott has denied Arabs the benefits of partner10 ship with Israelis, has blocked Arabs from helping to 

11 bridge the Israeli-Palestinian divide, and inspired di12 visive intra-Arab boycotts among diverse sects and 

13 ethnic groups. 

14 (8) On February 11, 2020, a delegation of the 

15 Arab Council to the French National Assembly in 

16 Paris testified to the harmful effects of ‘‘anti-nor17 malization laws’’, called on the Assembly to enact a 

18 law instructing the relevant French authorities to 

19 issue an annual report on instances of Arab govern20 ment retribution for any of their citizens or resi21 dents who call for peace with Israel or engage in di22 rect civil relations with Israeli citizens, and re23 quested democratic legislatures to help defend the 

24 region’s civil peacemakers. 


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1 (9) On May 11, 2020, 85 leaders in France 

2 published an endorsement of the Arab Council’s pro3 posal, calling on France and other democratic gov4 ernments to ‘‘protect Arabs who engage in dialogue 

5 with Israeli citizens’’ and proposing ‘‘the creation of 

6 a study group in the National Assembly as well as 

7 in the Senate whose mission would be to ensure a 

8 legal and technical monitoring of the obstacles which 

9 Arab proponents of dialogue with Israelis face’’. 

10 (10) Arab-Israeli cooperation provides signifi11 cant symbiotic benefit to the security and economic 

12 prosperity of the region. 

13 (c) ANNUAL REPORTING.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

15 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

16 thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 

17 appropriate congressional committees a report on 

18 the status of the normalization of relations between 

19 Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and 

20 regions. 

21 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under 

22 paragraph (1) shall include the following informa23 tion: 

24 (A) The status of ‘‘anti-normalization 

25 laws’’ in each country within the jurisdiction of 


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1 the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, including 

2 efforts within each country to sharpen existing 

3 laws, enact new or additional ‘‘anti-normaliza4 tion legislation’’, or repeal such laws. 

5 (B) Instances of prosecution of citizens or 

6 residents of Arab countries for calling for peace 

7 with Israel, visiting the state of Israel, or en8 gaging Israeli citizens in any way. 

9 (C) Instances of extrajudicial retribution 

10 by Arab governments or government-controlled 

11 institutions against citizens or residents of Arab 

12 countries for any of the actions described in 

13 subparagraph (B). 

14 (D) Evidence of steps taken by Arab gov15 ernments toward permitting or encouraging 

16 people-to-people relations between their citizens 

17 or residents and Israeli citizens. 

18 (E) Instances where Arab governments 

19 used state-owned or state-operated media out20 lets to promote anti-Semitic propaganda. 

21 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

22 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com23 mittees’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

2 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep3 resentatives; and 

4 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

5 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

6 SEC. 7. SUNSET. 

7 This Act shall cease to be effective on the date that 

8 is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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