Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday in Jerusalem, where the two men discussed expanding the Abraham Accords and addressing the Iranian threat.
The congressman is visiting the Jewish state after a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I spoke with Senator Graham, a great friend of Israel, about regional challenges, opportunities to improve relations with neighboring countries, and his visit to Saudi Arabia, from which he arrived in Israel, and initiatives to strengthen Israel-US relations. I also expressed my deep appreciation for America’s move to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords, which contribute to regional prosperity and stability,” Cohen said.
“Cooperation between Israel and the US is essential to stopping the Iranian nuclear program, which is a global threat,” Cohen added.
On Sunday, Graham met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, saying in a statement that he left Saudi Arabia with an optimistic view about changes occurring there and the opportunities to forge new relationships.
“I look forward to working with the Biden administration and our allies in Israel to upgrade the relationship with Saudi Arabia in a win-win fashion,” Graham said.
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week” host Jonathan Karl on Sunday, the Republican leader said that he sees “a chance to normalize the relationship between the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel that would be transformative for the region.”
The Trump administration brokered the Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel, and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in the fall of 2020, followed soon by Morocco and Sudan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in February that he was actively courting Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords, which would constitute a “quantum leap” towards regional peace.
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