Title: Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions.
Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel.
In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1061 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1061

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 2021

Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Young, Ms. Rosen, 
   Mr. Risch, Mr. Coons, Ms. Collins, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. 
  Feinstein, Mr. Sasse, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
Tillis, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Hawley) introduced the following bill; which 
   was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Israel Relations Normalization Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Support for peace between Israel and its neighbors has 
        longstanding bipartisan support in Congress.
            (2) For decades, the United States Congress has promoted 
        Israel's acceptance among Arab and other relevant countries and 
        regions to enact numerous laws opposing efforts to boycott, 
        isolate, and stigmatize America's ally, Israel.
            (3) The recent peace and normalization agreements between 
        Israel and several Arab states--the United Arab Emirates, 
        Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco--have the potential to 
        fundamentally transform the security, diplomatic, and economic 
        environment in the Middle East and North Africa and advance 
        vital United States national security interests.
            (4) These historic agreements could help advance peace 
        between Israel, the Arab states, and relevant countries and 
        regions, further diplomatic openings, and enhance efforts 
        towards a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian 
        conflict resulting in two states--a democratic Jewish state of 
        Israel and a viable democratic Palestinian state--living side 
        by side in peace, security, and mutual recognition.
            (5) These agreements build upon the decades-long leadership 
        of the United States Government in helping Israel broker peace 
        treaties with Egypt and Jordan and promoting peace talks 
        between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinians.
            (6) These agreements also build on decades-long private 
        diplomatic and security engagement between Israel and countries 
        in the region.
            (7) These normalization and peace agreements could begin to 
        transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing 
        technological innovation, advancing understanding, and forging 
        closer people-to-people relations.
            (8) These agreements could promote investment, tourism, and 
        direct flights, and promote cooperation on security, 
        telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, 
        the environment, water security, and sustainable development.

SEC. 3. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to expand and strengthen the Abraham Accords to 
        encourage other nations to normalize relations with Israel and 
        ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and 
        economic benefits for the citizens of those countries;
            (2) to develop and implement a regional strategy to 
        encourage economic cooperation among Israel, Arab states, and 
        the Palestinians to enhance the prospects for peace, respect 
        for human rights, and transparent governance, and for 
        cooperation to address water scarcity, climate solutions, 
        health care, sustainable development, and other areas that 
        result in benefits for residents of those countries;
            (3) to develop and implement a regional security strategy 
        that recognizes the shared threat posed by Iran and violent 
        extremist organizations, ensures sufficient United States 
        deterrence in the region, builds partner capacity to address 
        shared threats, and explores multilateral security arrangements 
        built around like-minded partners;
            (4) to support and encourage government-to-government and 
        grassroots initiatives aimed at normalizing ties with the state 
        of Israel and promoting people-to-people contact between 
        Israelis, Arabs, and other relevant countries and regions, 
        including by expanding and enhancing the Abraham Accords;
            (5) to oppose efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel 
        and legal barriers to normalization with Israel;
            (6) to work to combat anti-Semitism and support 
        normalization with Israel, including by countering anti-Semitic 
        narratives on social media and state media and pressing for 
        curricula reform in education; and
            (7) to encourage partnerships and collaboration on climate 
        solutions, water, health, sustainable development, and other 
        areas.

SEC. 5. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND ABRAHAM ACCORDS 
              AND OTHER RELATED NORMALIZATION AGREEMENTS WITH ISRAEL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 
other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall develop and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy on 
expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) An assessment of future staffing and resourcing 
        requirements of entities within the Department of State, the 
        United States Agency for International Development, the 
        Department of Defense, and other appropriate Federal 
        departments and agencies with responsibility to coordinate 
        United States efforts to expand and strengthen the Abraham 
        Accords.
            (2) An assessment of the bilateral and multilateral 
        cooperation between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant 
        countries and regions that have normalized relations with 
        Israel, including an assessment of cooperation in the economic, 
        social, cultural, scientific, technical, educational, and 
        health fields, and an assessment of roadblocks to increased 
        cooperation.
            (3) An assessment of bilateral and multilateral security 
        cooperation between Israel, the United States, Arab states, and 
        other relevant countries and regions that have normalized 
        relations with Israel, including an assessment of potential 
        roadblocks to increased security cooperation, interoperability, 
        and information sharing.
            (4) An assessment of the likelihood of additional Arab and 
        other relevant countries and regions to normalize relations 
        with Israel.
            (5) A detailed description of how the United States 
        Government will leverage diplomatic lines of effort and 
        resources from other stakeholders (including from foreign 
        governments, international donors, and multilateral 
        institutions) to encourage normalization, economic development, 
        and people-to-people programming.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE NORMALIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development 
and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall 
submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
regarding options for United States international efforts to promote 
strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant 
countries and regions.
    (b) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) A description of options for leveraging contributions 
        of international donors, institutions, and partner countries to 
        facilitate people-to-people and government-to-government 
        relations between Israelis and Arabs.
            (2) Identification of existing investment funds that 
        support Israel-Arab state cooperation and recommendations for 
        how such funds could be used to support normalization and 
        increase prosperity for all relevant stakeholders.
            (3) A proposal for how the United States Government and 
        others can utilize the scholars and Arabic language resources 
        of the United States Holocaust Museum to counter Holocaust 
        denial and anti-Semitism.
            (4) An assessment for creating an Abrahamic Center for 
        Pluralism to prepare educational materials, convene 
        international seminars, promote tolerance and pluralism, and 
        bring together scholars as a means of advancing religious 
        tolerance and countering political and religious extremism.
            (5) An assessment of the value to Israel and its neighbors 
        of participating in a regional conference on climate solutions, 
        water, health, and sustainable development.
            (6) An assessment of the feasibility and value of 
        increasing the capacity of existing Department of State and 
        United States Agency for International Development-funded 
        programs for developing people-to-people exchange programs for 
        young people between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant 
        countries and regions.
            (7) Recommendations to improve Department of State 
        cooperation and coordination, particularly between the Special 
        Envoy to Monitor Anti-Semitism and the Ambassador at Large for 
        International Religious Freedom, and the Office of 
        International Religious Freedom, to combat racism, xenophobia, 
        Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, which hinder improvement of 
        relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant 
        countries and regions.
            (8) An assessment of the value and feasibility of Federal 
        support for interparliamentary exchange programs for Members of 
        Congress, Knesset, and parliamentarians from Arab and other 
        relevant countries and regions, including through existing 
        Federal programs that support such exchanges.

SEC. 7. BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO NORMALIZATION WITH ISRAEL.

    (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Strengthening 
Reporting of Actions Taken Against the Normalization of Relations with 
Israel Act of 2021''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Arab League, an organization comprising 22 Middle 
        Eastern and African countries and entities, has maintained an 
        official boycott of Israeli companies and Israeli-made goods 
        since the founding of Israel in 1948.
            (2) Longstanding United States policy has encouraged Arab 
        League states to normalize their relations with Israel and has 
        long prioritized funding cooperative programs that promote 
        normalization between Arab League States and Israel, including 
        the Middle East Regional Cooperation program, which promotes 
        Arab-Israeli scientific cooperation.
            (3) While some Arab League governments are signaling 
        enhanced cooperation with the state of Israel on the 
        government-to-government level, most continue to persecute 
        their own citizens who establish people-to-people relations 
        with Israelis in nongovernmental fora, through a combination of 
        judicial and extrajudicial retribution.
            (4) Some Arab League states maintain draconian anti-
        normalization laws that punish their citizens for people-to-
        people relations with Israelis, with punishments including 
        imprisonment, revocation of citizenship, and execution. 
        Extrajudicial punishments by these and other Arab states 
        include summary imprisonment, accusations of ``treason'' in 
        government-controlled media, and professional blacklisting.
            (5) Anti-normalization laws, together with the other forms 
        of retribution, effectively condemn these societies to mutual 
        estrangement and, by extension, reduce the possibility of 
        conciliation and compromise.
            (6) Former Israeli President Shimon Peres said in 2008 at 
        the United Nations that Israel agrees with the Arab Peace 
        Initiative that a military solution to the conflict ``will not 
        achieve peace or provide security for the parties''.
            (7) Despite the risk of retaliatory action, a rising tide 
        of Arab civic actors advocate direct engagement with Israeli 
        citizens and residents. These include the Arab Council for 
        Regional Integration, a group of 32 public figures from 15 Arab 
        countries who oppose the boycott of Israel on the grounds that 
        the boycott has denied Arabs the benefits of partnership with 
        Israelis, has blocked Arabs from helping to bridge the Israeli-
        Palestinian divide, and inspired divisive intra-Arab boycotts 
        among diverse sects and ethnic groups.
            (8) On February 11, 2020, a delegation of the Arab Council 
        to the French National Assembly in Paris testified to the 
        harmful effects of ``anti-normalization laws'', called on the 
        Assembly to enact a law instructing the relevant French 
        authorities to issue an annual report on instances of Arab 
        government retribution for any of their citizens or residents 
        who call for peace with Israel or engage in direct civil 
        relations with Israeli citizens, and requested democratic 
        legislatures to help defend the region's civil peacemakers.
            (9) On May 11, 2020, 85 leaders in France published an 
        endorsement of the Arab Council's proposal, calling on France 
        and other democratic governments to ``protect Arabs who engage 
        in dialogue with Israeli citizens'' and proposing ``the 
        creation of a study group in the National Assembly as well as 
        in the Senate whose mission would be to ensure a legal and 
        technical monitoring of the obstacles which Arab proponents of 
        dialogue with Israelis face''.
            (10) Arab-Israeli cooperation provides significant 
        symbiotic benefit to the security and economic prosperity of 
        the region.
    (c) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, 
        the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
        the House of Representatives a report on the status of the 
        normalization of relations with Israel.
            (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following information:
                    (A) The status of ``anti-normalization laws'' in 
                each country within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
                Near Eastern Affairs, including efforts within each 
                country to sharpen existing laws, enact new or 
                additional ``anti-normalization legislation'', or 
                repeal such laws.
                    (B) Instances of prosecution of citizens or 
                residents of Arab countries for calling for peace with 
                Israel, visiting the state of Israel, or engaging 
                Israeli citizens in any way.
                    (C) Instances of extrajudicial retribution by Arab 
                governments or government-controlled institutions 
                against citizens or residents of Arab countries for any 
                of the same actions referred to in subparagraph (B).
                    (D) Evidence of steps taken by Arab governments 
                toward permitting or encouraging people-to-people 
                relations between their citizens or residents and 
                Israeli citizens.
                    (E) Instances where Arab governments used state-
                owned or state-operated media outlets to promote anti-
                Semitic propaganda.

SEC. 8. SUNSET.

    This Act shall cease to be effective on the date that is 5 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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