Erdan later had a conversation with Bahrain’s ambassador to the UN, Jamal Fares Alrowaiei. Israel’s Mission to the UN called the conversation “warm” and said that the two congratulated each other. The two reportedly “also agreed to meet to discuss cooperation in the UN on issues of innovation and economic development for the benefit of the two countries.”“Expanding the circle of peace in the Middle East can lead to a change at the UN as well,” Erdan said. “We are entering a new era in which we can publicly work together on security issues and the economic prosperity of Israel and the Arab countries. Together, we will face the challenges that threaten stability in the Middle East.”Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser also tweeted about the historic event.“Last week Jared met King Hamad al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman, a beautiful foreshadowing of today’s historic peace deal between Israel & Bahrain, establishing FULL diplomatic relations,” she tweeted.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the agreement demonstrates that “there is clear momentum for a new Middle East.”Ebrahim Dahood Nonoo, the head of the Jewish community in Bahrain, praised the agreement.“On this historic occasion of furthering peace in the Middle East, and the joint statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel, the Bahraini Jewish Community, congratulates our leadership on this momentous occasion,” Nonoo wrote. “The Bahraini Jewish Community is an indigenous community having been in Bahrain since the late 19th century. Although our numbers are small, we are very well integrated into the fabric of the society, both in business and in culture.”British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the agreement between Bahrain and Israel “excellent news.”Stopping short of endorsing the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Israel needs to halt actions that “undermine the two-state solution.”Egypt’s president on Friday said he appreciates the “important step” of Israel and Bahrain establishing diplomatic relations.The agreement, announced on Friday, would help establish “stability and peace in the Middle East, in a way that achieves a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue,” President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Twitter.The forging of relations with Israel is happening against a backdrop of shared fears about the threat that Iran may pose to the region. The biggest question now is whether Saudi Arabia, one of the Middle East’s most influential countries and a close US ally, will follow suit.Trump’s administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, to engage with Israel. Saudi Arabia, a key Sunni rival to Shi’ite Iran, has so far signaled it is not ready.The agreements are taking place as Republican Trump trails Biden in several opinion polls ahead of the US election. Foreign policy has not figured prominently in the election campaign, but Trump is eager to present himself as a peacemaker even as he rattles sabers against Iran.Trump’s pro-Israel moves have been seen, in part, as an effort to bolster his appeal to evangelical Christian voters, an important segment of his political base.Zaha Hassan, a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Bahrain’s move was “especially disturbing” to Palestinians.”This move could not happen without a Saudi green light,” she added. “[Saudi Arabia] is under pressure to normalize, but cannot because of its position as the custodian of Islam’s holy places and the unpopularity of it on the street level. Bahrain was offered up as a consolation that will keep Saudi Arabia in Trump’s good graces.”Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.Another historic day for Israel and the Arab world. Congratulations to PM @netanyahu, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Salman, President @realDonaldTrump, and @jaredkushner on this tremendous achievement. We are witnessing the beginning of a new era in the Middle East! pic.twitter.com/21Li3LqOGO
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) September 11, 2020