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Image posted, Reuters
Bahrain is the fourth Arab country to recognize Israel since its creation in 1948
Israel and Bahrain officially began their diplomatic relations.
The agreement was signed, mediated by the United States, in Bahrain’s capital Manama on Sunday.
For decades, most Arab states boycotted Israel, insisting that it would not establish relations with it until the Palestinian conflict was resolved.
Bahrain is now the fourth Middle Eastern Arab country, after the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel since its founding in 1948.
The Palestinians condemned the move, describing it as a “stab in the back”.
And at a ceremony in Manama on Sunday night, officials from Bahrain and Israel signed a “joint declaration” on the establishment of full diplomatic relations. The two countries are now expected to open reciprocal embassies.
Israeli media reported that the document did not include any reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After the signing, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said in a speech that he hoped for “fruitful bilateral cooperation in all fields” between the two countries.
He also called for peace in the region, including a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Image posted, EPA
US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin traveled with the Israeli delegation to Manama on Sunday.
The Israeli delegation flew on El Al Airlines Flight 973, referring to Bahrain’s international calling code, and passed through Saudi airspace with special permission from the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has yet to join the Gulf states that have announced the normalization of relations with Israel.
Regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran played a role in this diplomacy, as there is decades-long hostility exacerbated by sectarian and ethnic differences.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both Saudi Arabian allies, shared Israel’s concerns about Iran, leading to informal contacts in the past.
US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin accompanied the Israeli delegation. He will also accompany the first Israeli delegation to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
The Israeli deal with the Emirates came after Israel agreed to suspend controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian leaders were reportedly shocked by this announcement and later condemned the UAE deal and the Bahrain deal.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry summoned its ambassador to Bahrain after announcing the agreement last month, and a statement by the Palestinian leadership spoke of the “great damage it inflicts on the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and joint Arab action.”
