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US Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin (right) and Meir Bin Shabat, national security adviser and head of the Israeli delegation, upon arrival in Bahrain on Sunday. Reuters / Hamad Mohammed reuters_tickers
This content was published on October 18, 2020 – July 14:44,
By Dan Williams
MANAMA (Reuters) – An Israeli delegation accompanied by the US Treasury secretary arrived in Bahrain on Sunday on a visit aimed at formalizing emerging relations and expanding cooperation with the Gulf region, which Washington has promoted as a bulwark against Iran. with potential for economic prosperity.
The Bahraini government followed the example of the United Arab Emirates in agreeing last month to normalize relations with Israel, in a decision that astonished Palestinians who are demanding to declare their status in the face of any such regional approach.
This major development, overseen by US President Donald Trump, gives a boost to US foreign policy ahead of next month’s elections in which Trump seeks a second term. Washington’s allies see the deal as an opportunity to unify ranks more clearly against Iran.
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, Steve Mnuchin, accompanies the delegation on their flight on an Israeli El Al Airlines plane, from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
In Mnuchin’s presence at the airport, Avi Berkowitz, the US envoy to the Middle East, said that Israel and Bahrain would sign a joint declaration to establish relations in the tourism, banking and diplomatic fields.
“I think the opportunity is much more than an investment … it is about technology and the creation of many different companies, and in the case of Bahrain it will also greatly expand the opportunities that lie ahead,” Mnuchin told reporters on board .
Israel and Bahrain signed the “Declaration of Peace, Cooperation and Diplomatic and Friendly Relations” in a private ceremony at the White House on September 15, but this document did not reach the limit of a formal treaty.
* Improving relationships
An official involved in preparing for the visit said Israel and Bahrain would sign a statement raising the level of relations.
Meir Bin Shabat, national security adviser and head of the Israeli delegation, on arrival at Manama airport, spoke in Arabic and said: “Peace be with you and the mercy and blessings of God. This is a great day. .. I hope, God willing, to receive him soon in Israel “.
“The method of treatment and cooperation is the most effective and sustainable way to achieve a real and lasting peace that protects the rights of the peoples of the Middle East,” said Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al Zayani.
Bahrain’s agreement to establish normal relations with Israel provoked discontent at home and abroad among Bahrainis. Manama said the agreement protects its Iranian interests.
The US administration was trying to finalize more of these agreements before the US elections. Mnuchin said he expected the process to continue regardless of who wins the presidential election.
The members of the delegation traveled to Manama on a flight belonging to El Al, which carries the number 973, in reference to Bahrain’s international calling code. The plane crossed Saudi airspace, to facilitate the kingdom, which has so far resisted Washington’s pleas to normalize relations with Israel.
On Monday, Mnuchin and other US officials will travel to the United Arab Emirates, whose agreement with Israel has opened the door to bilateral trade. US officials will accompany an Emirati delegation on their first visit to Israel on Tuesday.
Bahrain is of great strategic importance as it is home to the United States Fifth Fleet, even though its oil wealth is less than that of the UAE.
A report issued by the Israeli Intelligence Ministry on September 13 stated that opportunities exist for defense cooperation with Bahrain, which the report described as threatened by “Shiite political sedition led by Iran and those who work for it.”
A Bahraini source said his country’s priority will be cooperation in the field of Internet security, after the king issued a decree last week to establish a national center for Internet security.
(Participated in the coverage of Aziz Al Yaqoubi and Ghaida Ghantous of Dubai – Prepared by Lubna Sabry for the Arabic bulletin – Edited by Yasmine Hussein)
