The White House invites Democrats to a signing ceremony with the UAE, Israel and Bahrain

The White House called on top Democratic lawmakers to a ceremony in which representatives from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain sign an accord with Israel to normalize ties on Tuesday.

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

President TrumpDonald John Trump Crowd aims to ‘lock up’ him cheer for Obama during a Trump rally for the governor of Nevada: Trump is ‘taking reckless and selfish actions’ in organizing a rally for a Michigan deputy governor attacking Trump over the coronavirus: He is a ‘liar who has killed people’ More He helped broker a landmark deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize ties in August. Last week, Trump announced that Bahrain had also reached an agreement with Israel to normalize relations.

The two sides will sign the agreement, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” at a White House ceremony on Tuesday, marking a remarkable diplomatic achievement for Trump. The agreement between the UAE and Israel won bipartisan praise when it was announced by the White House last month.

Democrats attending the ceremony will be a rare sight. The White House has previously rejected the Democrats’ call when the president signs major legislation, such as the president’s signature in March of $ 2 trillion in funding for coronavirus relief. Partisan tensions remain high in Washington as Republicans and Democrats debate about mitigating the coronavirus in the future and the upcoming elections.

The senior administration official said on Monday that a few hundred people are expected to attend the outdoor concert on Tuesday, and that the use of masks has been recommended but not needed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Foreign delegates will be tested for COVID-19 before the ceremony.

The senior administration official said that the three parties will sign one document, the “Ibrahim Agreements,” and that the parties will sign bilateral agreements with each other to cement the agreements. The official did not go into essential details about the content of the documents.

The deal between the UAE and Israel represented an important breakthrough in diplomatic relations between the two countries as the Trump administration is working to facilitate cooperation between Arab countries and Israel. In a surprise announcement from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump announced Bahrain and Israel It would also normalize relations.