Former advisor to President Trump Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations under the Trump administration Avi Berkowitz are starting a new organization called the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace to continue the growth of the Abraham Accords in the Middle East.
According to a report by Axios, trhe institute will focus on creating closer relations between the countries already committed to the Abraham Accords while promoting trade and increased tourism.
The Abraham Accords represent historic normalization deals brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and several Arab nations including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan.
Kushner and Berkowitz both played integral roles in bringing the Abraham Accords to fruition.
The organization will “provide analysis of the benefits of normalization and the potential benefits additional Arab countries can receive if they join the Abraham Accords,” according to a statement obtained by Axios.
Kushner and Berkowitz are founding the institute alongside Emirati, Bahraini, and Israeli ambassadors and are expecting to have Moroccan and Sudanese representatives join the board as well, according to reports.
“In less than a year, this warm peace is melting decades of misunderstanding and hostility across the region. This is a peace among peoples as much as it is among nations. This will be the institute’s focus – to nurture and deepen these human connections,” said the institute’s founders in a joint statement.
Former Senior Director for the National Security Council under the Trump administration Robert Greenway will act as the institute’s Executive Director.
The Abraham Accords have received significant bipartisan support, and Kushner and Berkowitz will also be working closely with Democrat and Israeli-American Haim Saban to found the organization.
The institute is already receiving widespread praise on social media.
“Securing several Middle East peace deals that no one thought possible was one of the crowning achievements of the Trump administration. GREAT work @jaredkushner & @AviBerkow – so glad to read about the Abraham Accords institute,” tweeted former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
International Human Rights Lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky also weighed in on the news.
“I couldn’t think of two better ambassadors for peace than @jaredkushner & @AviBerkow, the architects & visionaries of the #AbrahamAccords, who can take the hope of a #NewMiddleEast between Israel and the Arab world to the next level,” tweeted Ostrovksy.
