WASHINGTON — The State Department has named former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro as its point person for expanding the Abraham Accords between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Shapiro's appointment as the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs’ senior advisor for regional integration comes as the Biden administration seeks to build on the Abraham Accords, which under former President Donald Trump in 2020 established formal ties between Israel and Arab states including Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
“Dan will support U.S. efforts to advance a more peaceful and interconnected region, deepen and broaden the Abraham Accords, and build the Negev Forum,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet Thursday.
Blinken announced earlier this month that the State Department would be creating a new position aimed at further integrating Israel into the region, which he described as a “cornerstone” of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy.
