The country of Bahrain became the latest Arab nation to normalize ties with Israel, less than a month following a similar decision by the United Arab Emirates.
The Bahraini decision, which was announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday was made despite repeated assurances that Manama will not extend diplomatic ties with Israel until Palestinians obtain their rights in accordance with international law.
“Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,” the Associated Press reported. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today!” Trump tweeted.
The Bahrain-Israel normalization is considered a diplomatic victory for the Trump Administration, which is positioning itself as a ‘peacemaker’ in the Middle East.
Less than a week from now, Trump is expected to host the official signing of the Israel-UAE accords, a highly publicized ceremony that will also be attended by the Bahraini foreign minister, AP reported.
A joint statement by Trump, Netanyahu and Hamad described the latest round of normalization as “a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East.”
Joint Statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020
“Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region,” the joint statement read.
“Like the UAE agreement, Friday’s Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals,” AP reported.
#ArabLeague Rejects #Palestinian Draft Condemning #UAE– #Israel Agreement https://t.co/vg1mIL60yO via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/soKrnmNbj8
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) September 10, 2020
Trump’s son-in-law, who has led the normalization efforts said that “this is very fast,” referring to the Bahrain announcement. “The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully it’s a sign that even more will come,” he added.
For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more.”
The Bahrain-Israel agreement came as another shock to Palestinians who still didn’t recover from the news of the UAE-Israel normalization.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
