On Friday, United States (US) President Donald Trump announced that Bahrain would be following the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) lead in establishing full diplomatic ties with Israel. Manama’s latest move further strengthens Trump’s ongoing efforts to realign regional ties to create a strategic alliance of Arab Gulf countries with Israel to counter Iranian influence.
Bahrain’s favourable posturing towards Israel is hardly surprising to experts, despite the fact that the Kingdom declared its support to the creation of a Palestinian state just last month. Ian Black, a senior fellow at the London School of Economics, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the island state was inevitably likely to follow Abu Dhabi “once the taboo had been broken”.
Friday’s deal was slammed by Palestinian authorities, who see it as yet another Arab betrayal to the administration’s efforts of achieving self-determination as Israel continues its illegal occupation of West Bank territory. Further, a collective of Bahraini civil society and political associations released a joint statement on Sunday voicing their condemnation of the deal. The group, which includes the Bahrain Bar Association, said: “What results from normalisation will not enjoy popular backing, in line with what generations of Bahrainis have been brought up on in terms of adherence to the Palestinian cause.” Even Iran and Turkey have criticized Manama’s decision. On Saturday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said, “The executioner ruler of Bahrain should await the harsh revenge of the Mujahideen (Islamic fighters) aiming to liberate Quds (Jerusalem) and the proud Muslim nation of this country.”
On the other hand, in addition to Abu Dhabi, Muscat has also welcomed the move. “(Oman) hopes this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital,” said a government statement. Previously, an Israeli intelligence official had hinted that Oman was also on its way to formalize relations with the Jewish state, but there have been no statements from the Sultunate that confirm or deny these claims.
Bahrain is home to the regional headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and has, over the years, been growing warmer to the idea of publicly declaring its relations with Tel Aviv. In February 2017, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had met Jewish leaders in the US and had reportedly expressed his opposition to the Israeli boycott by Arab states. In the same year, government-sanctioned This is Bahrain interfaith dialogue which took place in Israel just days after the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, sparked anger among Palestinians, who view support from Islamic countries as crucial to its pressure campaign on Tel Aviv. The new deal marks the beginning of a strategic relationship, from which Bahrain hopes for an economic boost. Israeli authorities have signalled their hopes to operate direct flights and open an embassy in it the Kingdom as soon as possible.
Bahrain’s Move to Normalize Ties with Israel Receives Mixed Reactions
Bahrain is the second country in the Arab Gulf to recognize Israel, after the UAE normalized ties with the Jewish state in a US-brokered agreeement on 13 August.
September 14, 2020
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip burn pictures of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, 12 September. SOURCE: MAHMUD HAMS/AFP