Bahrain–Israel relations

The relations between Bahrain and Israel refers to the relations between Bahrain and Israel since Bahrain achieved independence in 1971. In recent years, relations between the two countries have been thawing,[1][2][3] and the countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations in September 2020.[4] The foreign minister of Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa has been quoted saying "Israel is part of this heritage of this whole region, historically. So, the Jewish people have a place amongst us."[5][6] The common threat of Iran has provided common ground for a thaw in what was once tense relations.[7] Bahrain's foreign policy traditionally supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state.[8]

Bahrain–Israel relations

Bahrain
Israel

History

Following their independence from the British rule in 1971, Bahrain became part of the Arab League boycott of Israel. Later on, Bahrain sent representatives to the Madrid Conference of 1991.[9]

The first official Israeli delegation to visit Bahrain was in late September 1994,[10] when Yossi Sarid, Israel's Minister for the Environment, took part in regional discussions on environmental issues and met with Bahrain's foreign minister.[11] However, trade missions were opened in both capitals after the Oslo I Accord, though they were closed after Al-Aqsa Intifada, which erupted in 2000.[12]

Bahrain abandoned its boycott of Israel in 2005, in exchange for a free trade agreement with the United States.[13] In September 2017, the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, denounced the Arab League boycott of Israel, saying that the kingdom's citizens were entitled to visit Israel, even though the two countries had no diplomatic relations.[14]

In October 2007, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid Alkhalifa held a meeting with the American Jewish Committee where he said "Palestinian refugees should return to Palestine". In the same month during the General Assembly of the UN, he met with then-Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni drawing heavy criticism from the Bahraini parliament.[15]

Wikileaks

In 2011, amid Arab spring uprising, Wikileaks cables published on Haaretz revealed some of the hidden relations between Bahraini and Israeli officials. In a meeting with the U.S. ambassador in February 2005, Bahrain's king, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had bragged about having contact with Israel's national intelligence agency, Mossad. He indicated that Bahrain is ready to develop relations in other fields as well. The king reportedly gave orders that official statements don't use phrases such as "enemy" and "Zionist entity" when referring to Israel anymore. However, he refused the idea of having trade relations, saying it was "too early" and would be postponed until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.[16]

Normalization of relations
Main article: Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
Reuven Rivlin meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Jerusalem, November 2020,

Following a video of a ceremony to mark the Jewish Hanukkah holiday hosted by Bahrain that went viral in 2016, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah, during an event hosted by Simon Wiesenthal Center on September 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, denounced the Arab League boycott of Israel and began normalizing relations following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of normalizing relations with the Arab world.[17] In effect, it allows Bahraini citizens to visit Israel whenever its necessary.[18] If the two countries begin establishing diplomatic relations, Bahrain would be the fourth Arab country and the second Arab country in the Persian Gulf region to grant recognition to the State of Israel (the others being Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994 and the United Arab Emirates in 2020; the Palestinian National Authority in 1993 also recognized Israel).

In May 2018, Bahrain recognized Israel's right to exist. This was reportedly mainly due to tensions with Iran.[19] This was refuted by Manama authorities as the country remains committed to the Arab Peace Initiative.[20]

In June 2019, six Israeli media outlets received formal invitations to cover the Israeli-Palestinian economic peace workshop in Bahrain.[21] In July 2019, Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, met in the United States.[22] In October 2019, an Israeli official, Dana Benvenisti-Gabay, attended the "Working Group on Maritime and Aviation Security" in Manama, Bahrain.[23] In December 2019, Jerusalem chief rabbi, Shlomo Amar, visited Bahrain for an interfaith event.[24]

King Hamad told visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that his country is committed to the creation of a Palestinian state and dismissed Washington's push for Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel.[25] However, on 11 September 2020, it was announced that Bahrain and Israel had agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.[26] Remarking on the date of the announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “There’s no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11.”[27] The agreement was signed on September 15, 2020, at the White House in Washington, D.C.[28] On 18 October 2020, an Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat traveled to Manama, Bahrain, to sign a normalization declaration document.[29]

See also

References
  1. "Bahrain foreign minister defends Australia's decision on Jerusalem". Reuters. 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  2. "Bahrain minister calls for open communication with Israel". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  3. staff, T. O. I. "Jerusalem chief rabbi visits Bahrain for interfaith event". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  4. "Trump announces 'peace deal' between Bahrain and Israel". bbc.com. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. "The Bahrain Conference: What the Experts and the Media Missed". Yale Insights. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  6. Ahren, Raphael. "Bahrain FM to Times of Israel: Israel is here to stay, and we want peace with it". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  7. Ahren, Raphael; Alex; Fulbright, er. "Israel, Bahrain foreign ministers talk Iran in groundbreaking public meet". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  8. "Foreign Policy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Kingdom of Bahrain.
  9. Joel Guzensky (April 2012). "Gulf States in a Changing Strategic Environment" (PDF). Institute for National Security Studies (in Hebrew). p. 117.
  10. The Middle East and North Africa, Europa Publications Limited
  11. "When Bahrain once welcomed Israelis". Haaretz.com.
  12. "Another Gulf State Recognizes Israel. Here's Why It Matters". The New York Times. 12 September 2020.
  13. Ahren, Raphael (September 14, 2020). "Bahrain won't have to abolish Israel boycott law — because it did so years ago". The Times of Israel.
  14. Lieber, Dov (September 18, 2017). "Bahrain's king opposes Arab boycott of Israel, Jewish leader says". The Times of Israel.
  15. Barak Ravid (20 February 2011). "WikiLeaks: Bahrain FM planned to meet Israeli officials in support of peace process". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  16. Yossi Melman (8 April 2011). "Haaretz Wikileaks exclusive / Bahrain King boasted of intelligence ties with Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  17. "Bahrain's king denounces boycott of Israel, says citizens free to visit Israel". presstv.com. 18 September 2017.
  18. "Bahrain king denounces Arab boycott of Israel, says countrymen may visit". jpost.com. 17 September 2017.
  19. "Bahrain Sides With Israel Against Iran". pjmedia.com. 10 May 2018.
  20. "Bahrain denies Israel relations reports". gulfnews.com.
  21. "At economic peace summit, being an Israeli in Bahrain feels almost normal". The Times of Israel. 26 June 2019.
  22. Ahren, Raphael. "After long wait, some Israeli news outlets okayed to cover Bahrain summit". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  23. "In rare formal visit, Israeli official attends anti-Iran conference in Bahrain". The Times of Israel. 21 October 2019.
  24. "Jerusalem chief rabbi visits Bahrain for interfaith event, meets king". The Times of Israel. 10 December 2019.
  25. "Bahrain rejects US push to normalize relations with Israel". Al Jazeera. Aug 26, 2020.
  26. "Bahrain establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel, Trump announces". Times of Israel. September 11, 2020.
  27. Crowley, Michael and David M. Halbfinger. .
  28. "Trump hails 'dawn of new Middle East' with UAE-Bahrain-Israel deals". BBC. 15 September 2020.
  29. "Israel, Bahrain to sign document launching formal ties". The Jerusalem Post. 18 October 2020.
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