Bahrain becomes second Gulf county to normalize relations with Israel
Last year Bahrain had hosted the Trump administration’s Peace to Prosperity economic conference for the Middle East, which had Israeli participants in attendance.
By Aditi Bhaduri
Bahrainhas become the second Gulf country, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to announce that it would normalize ties with Israel.
In a manner similar to the announcement almost a month ago that the United Arab Emirates would normalize ties with Israel, the news was announced by US President Donald Trump in a tweet.
Trump announced on Friday that Bahrain has agreed to normalize ties with Israel, according to a joint statement with the United States. He tweeted the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal – the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!” the US President tweeted.
According to the joint statement, Bahrain and Israel agreed to establish “full diplomatic relations” in a “historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East.”
For days both President Trump, his advisor Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had hinted that another Arab country would soon normalize relations with Israel following the announcement by the UAE to do so.
Bahrain, a small island state, is a close ally of Saudi Arabia and the site of the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters.
Last year Bahrain had hosted the Trump administration’s Peace to Prosperity economic conference for the Middle East, which had Israeli participants in attendance.
More recently, the kingdom announced it would allow flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to fly through its airspace.
Trump has invited Bahran to join Israel and the UAE at the signing ceremony slated for Tuesday, September 15, at the White House. Bahrain’s foreign minister will be present at the ceremony.
The Palestinians have bitterly criticised the UAE for it’s decision to normalize ties with the Jewish country.
A recent Arab League conference refused to allow a Palestinian resolution condemning the move.
Bahrain is now the fourth Arab country that will normalize ties with Israel after Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE.
“Citizens of Israel, I am moved to be able to tell you that this evening, we are reaching another peace agreement with another Arab country, Bahrain. This agreement adds to the historic peace with the United Arab Emirates,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language statement on Friday.
Egyptian president Abdel Fatah Al Sisi has welcomed the announcement. The agreement, announced on Friday, would help establish “stability and peace in the Middle East, in a way that achieves a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue,” the president wrote on Twitter.
Egypt was the first Arab state that established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1979.
It is possible that in the near future more Gulf countries may normalize ties with Israel, as most of them, like Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have unofficial relations with Israel.
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