SCHNEIDER RETURNS FROM MIDDLE EAST TRIP FOCUSED ON ABRAHAM ACCORDS AMID ISRAEL – IRAN CONFLICT
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus, returned on Thursday from a five-day bipartisan congressional delegation to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Rep. Schneider was joined on the trip by Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Zach Nunn (IA-03), and Don Bacon (NE-02). The trip was organized and sponsored by the N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation which is focused on advancing US interests by strengthening cooperation between the United States, Israel, and Arab and Muslim countries.
Representative Schneider leads delegation in meeting in Bahrain with his Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
“This visit, held during a moment of regional crisis and uncertainty, underscored our commitment to security, prosperity and peace,” said Rep. Schneider. “The Abraham Accords are not just a historic diplomatic achievement—they are the best framework for a more integrated and secure Middle East. In the face of nefarious Iranian activity across the region, efforts to deepen and expand the Abraham Accord partnerships are more important than ever.”
The delegation visited Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE. The delegation was originally scheduled to visit Israel. After the closure of the airport in Israel, the Members planned to travel to Jordan and then drive to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli leaders. Unfortunately they were not able to proceed with the Israel portion of the trip.
“While the start of Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure – and Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks on Israel – began mere hours before our delegation was scheduled to land in Saudi Arabia, we never considered canceling this trip,” continued Rep. Schneider. “Especially at this moment, it is critical the US shows support for our allies and commitment to bringing sustained peace, prosperity, and stability to the Middle East.”
Despite the rapidly shifting security environment, the delegation successfully engaged with senior government officials and private sector leaders, including a conference call with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, to discuss how to strengthen and expand the normalization efforts, building on the Abraham Accords and looking beyond the shadows of ongoing regional conflicts. Discussions focused on practical ways to expand normalization, including people-to-people ties, technology cooperation, regional infrastructure, and defense collaboration.
Representatives Nunn, Schneider, Bacon and Panetta at the al Diriyah excavation in Riyadh
In Bahrain, Representative Schneider meets with Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani
Representative Schneider and his wife Julie visit the synagogue
at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, UAE
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