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Zain Khalil / Anatolia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Wednesday that Israel and Bahrain were in contact years before the signing of the “Abraham” agreement to normalize relations between them.
This occurred during a tripartite press conference between Netanyahu and Bahrain’s Foreign Ministers, Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, and American Mike Pompeo, in occupied Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said that Al-Zayani’s visit “marks another achievement on the road to peace between Israel and Bahrain, which is based on solid foundations of joint cooperation.”
He expressed hope that there would be normalization agreements between Israel and other Arab countries.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed two agreements with Israel in mid-September to normalize relations.
Al-Zayani expressed his happiness at being Bahrain’s first foreign minister to visit Israel.
He said he conveyed to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin during their meeting on Wednesday the greetings of the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Khalifa, to Israel and its people.
He added: “We look forward to the start of air services between Israel and Bahrain, starting this year, and we will have 14 flights from Bahrain to Tel Aviv and 5 weekly cargo flights.”
He added that as of December 1, the electronic visa system will be implemented between the two countries, to allow “free travel.”
And he added: “Soon we will witness the opening of an embassy for each of the two countries in the other country, and the strengthening of the investment and tourism network and everything that adds value to our joint efforts.”
And he considered that “cooperation between Bahrain and Israel paves the way for peace in the Middle East,” calling for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on achieving a two-state solution.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates’ normalization of their relations with Israel was met with widespread popular Arab rejection, and critics viewed it as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, especially in light of the continued Israeli occupation of Arab lands.
The US secretary of state said that his country welcomes the exchange of embassies between Israel and Bahrain, considering this to be “an essential step in the interests of diplomatic relations.”
Mike Pompeo confirmed that the field “has been opened to Israeli aircraft thanks to the Abrahamic agreements.”
Hours earlier, Al-Zayani arrived in Israel, his first visit since the signing of the agreement to normalize relations.
Last September, the King of Bahrain described the normalization of his country’s relations with Israel as a “historic achievement” and said that it “contributes to the advancement of the peace and stability process in the Middle East.”
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