Bahrain was a key country that helped push for the Abraham Accords. Although it announced it would join only after the United Arab Emirates and Israel made the historic announcement a year ago, Bahrain had often been supportive of coexistence behind the scenes.
In Warsaw in February 2019, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said the country would “eventually” establish diplomatic ties with Israel.
Bahrain agreed to host one of the summits that the Trump administration intended to push in its peace plan with the Palestinians, and Israel Football Association officials went to Bahrain for an event in 2017.
At the same time, the King Hamad Global Center, a world leader in promoting religious freedom, interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence, has been keen on pushing coexistence in the region, including in working with Israeli institutions. It is in this context that Bahrain’s warmth toward Israel has grown, and it underpins the unique relationship with Manama.
It should also be noted that Bahrain has a small and historic Jewish community. Ambassador Houda Nonoo, who is Jewish, was the Bahraini ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2013. She has been active in promoting coexistence with the Jewish community in Bahrain and showcased the recently-renovated House of Ten Commandments synagogue in April.
Last year, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdellatif al-Zayani came to Ben-Gurion Airport, where he was greeted by his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi. His visit was “a strategic start to enhancing joint cooperation,” he said.
“The Middle East has witnessed conflicts and instability over the past decades. The time has come for us to pursue other policies to reach a comprehensive solution.”
Now, Bahrain’s Undersecretary for International Relations at the Foreign Ministry is reinforcing this sense of unity on regional issues. He has said the Iran Deal of 2015 “fueled crises across the Middle East.” He signed an agreement with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. The deputy foreign minister also visited organizations from Israeli civil society, universities and research institutes to enhance ties between Israel and Bahrain. He went scuba diving with Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz, a rare example of shared recreational activity intersecting with diplomacy.
Of key importance was a meeting he held with the head of IDF’s Strategic Planning and Cooperation Directorate (J5), Maj. Gen. Tal Kelman, who is also Israel’s point person for confronting Iran within the military. The meeting focused on “the desire to strengthen security ties between the countries,” according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. “Following the discussion, a strategic panel was held that focused on both common challenges and opportunities in the region for Israel and Bahrain.”
The exciting and important visit is part of a series of positive developments for the Abraham Accords that have been good for the Middle East, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said at a virtual conference of the Aspen Security Forum last week. An example was Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to Morocco this week.
Taken together – the Lapid trip, the comments from Riyadh, and the Bahrain multi-day visit – they showcase the strength of the peace agreements in the region a year after the UAE and Israel announced they would normalize relations.
There is more to do on key issues. The Saudis want to see more progress on the Palestinian front, for instance, and they have not normalized ties with Israel. The Iranian threat is growing, as evidenced by the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman. However, the current trend with Bahrain shows how Manama’s role has been key and should be heralded.