Israel opens embassy in Arab state — RT World News
West Jerusalem shingles Bahrain three years after establishing diplomatic ties with kingdom
Israel has established another diplomatic strongpoint in the Persian Gulf region, opening a new embassy in Bahrain three years after normalizing relations with the tiny Arab kingdom.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs elie cohen attended the inauguration ceremony of the country’s embassy in Manama on Monday. He and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif Al Zayani, agreed to work together to boost trade, travel and investment between their countries.
The opening of the embassy “signifies our common commitment to security and prosperity for all the peoples of our region”, Al Zayani said at the ceremony. Israel and Bahrain established diplomatic ties in September 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords championed by then-President Donald Trump.
Bahrain, the base of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has followed the United Arab Emirates in normalizing relations with Israel. Sudan and Morocco then joined the Abraham Accords.
Trade between Israel and Bahrain, which doubled last year, is expected to grow further as the two countries deepen their cooperation, Cohen said. “It’s an exciting moment for me, which is a testament to the warming of relations between the countries,” he said. “I will continue to work so that we can establish mezuzahs in more Israeli embassies around the world. »
Cohen led an Israeli delegation including representatives from more than 30 companies and arrived in Bahrain on Sunday. Ahead of the embassy ceremony, he met the Crown Prince on Monday morning Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. “I thanked him for his leadership in leading the Abraham Accords, which changed the face of the Middle East and contributed to the stability and prosperity of the peoples of the region,” said the Israeli minister.
However, Washington failed to convince Bahrain’s biggest neighbor, Saudi Arabia, to normalize relations with West Jerusalem. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan acknowledged last month that a deal with Riyadh was far from done.
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Saudi Arabia has repeatedly condemned the escalating clashes between Israel and the Palestinians, and the desert kingdom has reportedly demanded US security guarantees and help to develop its nuclear industry in return for joining the Abraham’s agreements.
RT
