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- The United States government announced that a declaration of peace between the two countries will be signed at the White House next Tuesday.
- Bahrain would be the fourth Arab country to officially recognize Israel. Just a few weeks ago, Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced a rapprochement.
“Another historic breakthrough,” wrote US President Donald Trump on Twitter: “Our two great friends, Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain, agree to a peace agreement.”
In a joint communication from the United States, Bahrain and Israel, it was said that the two countries would establish “full diplomatic relations.” This would advance efforts for peace in the Middle East.
Sign at the White House
Next Tuesday, Israel and the United Arab Emirates intend to sign their agreement on the normalization of their relations in Washington. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Sajani will also arrive and sign a “declaration of peace” with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The agreement will make the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain the third and fourth Arab countries, after Egypt and Jordan, to have diplomatic relations with Israel. In exchange for the deal, Israel wants to suspend the planned annexation of areas in the occupied West Bank, which the Palestinians claim for their own state.
Israel praises Trump
US President Trump had campaigned for a rapprochement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. After the breakthrough, he repeatedly raised hopes for further breakthroughs and even spoke of a possible “peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke of “a new era of peace.” Years of intense behind-the-scenes efforts preceded the deals. It is thanks to President Trump that they are now bearing fruit.
Trump himself advertises himself in the presidential election campaign with his Israel-friendly Middle East policy, with which he wants to score points with the evangelical electorate that is important to him. It has traditionally been positive about Israel. At the same time, the president of the United States is promoting his course against Israel’s archenemy, Iran.
Bahrain insists on a two-state solution
The King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, stressed in a statement that it was necessary to achieve “a just and complete peace.” At the same time, he praised the “persistent efforts” with which the United States has promoted the peace process. The kingdom wants to stick with the two-state solution.
The Palestinians have boycotted the US government since Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017 and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv in May 2018. He accuses Trump of a unilateral pro-Israel policy.
The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah issued a statement expressing its “strong rejection and condemnation” of the new agreement. It is about “the betrayal of Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian cause.” The Foreign Ministry in Ramallah said the Palestinian envoy in Bahrain had been called in for consultations.
