White House invites Democrats to signing ceremony with UAE, Israel, Bahrain

The White House has invited senior Democratic lawmakers to a ceremony where representatives from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will sign an agreement with Israel to normalize relations on Tuesday. 

A senior administration official told reporters Monday that a large number of Democrats were invited to the signing ceremony scheduled to take place on the White House South Lawn on Tuesday. The official said that at least some Democrats were expected to attend the ceremony, but did not offer any names. 

President Trump helped broker a historic agreement between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations in August. Last week, Trump announced that Bahrain had also reached a deal with Israel to normalize relations. 

The parties will sign the agreement, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” at the White House ceremony Tuesday, marking a notable diplomatic achievement for Trump. The agreement between the UAE and Israel received bipartisan acclaim when it was announced by the White House last month. 

The presence of Democrats at the ceremony will be a rare sight. The White House has previously declined to invite Democrats when the president has signed major legislation, like the president’s March signing of $2 trillion in coronavirus relief funding. Partisan tensions remain high in Washington as Republicans and Democrats spar over future coronavirus relief and the upcoming election.

The senior administration official said Monday that a few hundred individuals were expected to attend the outdoor ceremony on Tuesday, and that masks were recommended but not required amid the coronavirus pandemic. Members of the foreign delegations will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the ceremony. 

The senior administration official said all three parties will sign one document, the “Abraham Accords,” and that the parties would sign bilateral agreements with one another to cement the agreements. The official did not go into substantive detail about the content of the documents. 

The deal between the UAE and Israel represented a significant breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the two nations as the Trump administration works to facilitate cooperation between Arab nations and Israel. In a surprise announcement from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump announced that Bahrain and Israel would also normalize relations.