Bahrain–Israel relations

Last updated

Bahraini–Israeli relations
Israel bahrain.png
Flag of Bahrain.svg
Bahrain 		Flag of Israel.svg
Israel

Relations have existed between Bahrain and Israel since Bahrain achieved its 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 the 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 were once tense relations. [7] Bahrain's foreign policy traditionally supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state. [8] Bahrain has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Manama.

Contents

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

Reuven Rivlin meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Jerusalem, November 2020, Reuven Rivlin meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Jerusalem, November 2020, November 2020 (GPOMN3 6803).jpg
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.[ citation needed ] In effect, it allows Bahraini citizens to visit Israel whenever its necessary. [17] 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. Manama authorities denied reports that this was due to tensions with Iran, and said the country remains committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. [18]

In June 2019, six Israeli media outlets received formal invitations to cover the Israeli-Palestinian economic peace workshop in Bahrain. [19] In July 2019, Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, met in the United States. [20] In October 2019, an Israeli official, Dana Benvenisti-Gabay, attended the "Working Group on Maritime and Aviation Security" in Manama, Bahrain. [21] In December 2019, Jerusalem chief rabbi, Shlomo Amar, visited Bahrain for an interfaith event. [22]

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. [23] However, on 11 September 2020, it was announced that Bahrain and Israel had agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. [24] 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.” [25] The agreement was signed on September 15, 2020, at the White House in Washington, D.C. [26] 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. [27]

In March 2021, Bahrain appointed Khaled Yousif al-Jalahma as its first ambassador to Israel. He arrived in Israel to take up his post at the end of August 2021. [28] [29]

In September 2021, Israel opened a resident embassy in Manama. [30] In September 2023, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Manama and officially reopened Israel's new embassy to replace the first one. [31] [32]

On 2 November 2023, in view of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Bahrain said in a statement that the Israeli ambassador left Bahrain, that Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Israel, and suspended all economic relations with Israel, citing a "solid and historical stance that supports the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people." [33] [34] The statement was made by Bahrain's parliament and Israel said they had no knowledge of the decision. [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Bahrain</span>

Bahrain plays a modest, moderating role in regional politics and adheres to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. Since achieving independence in 1971, Bahrain has maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbours and with the world community. It generally pursues a policy of close consultation with neighbouring states and works to narrow areas of disagreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa</span> King of Bahrain since 2002 and Emir from 1999 to 2002

Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999. He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous and first emir. The country has been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa</span> Bahraini politician (born 1960)

Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa is a Bahraini diplomat who served as Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 until January 2020. Khalid became only the second foreign minister in Bahrain's history after replacing Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa who then became Bahrain's deputy prime minister.

Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo served as the Bahraini Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2013. She was appointed to the position by decree of Foreign Affairs Minister Khaled Ben Ahmad Al-Khalifa. Nonoo is the first Jew, and third woman, to be appointed ambassador of Bahrain. She is also the first Jewish ambassador of any Middle Eastern Arab country, and the first female Bahraini ambassador to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Bahrain</span> Ethnic group

Bahraini Jews constitute one of the world's smallest Jewish communities, although its origins go back to late antiquity. Talmudic sources refer to ports and islands on the Persian Gulf, indicating that Jews may have already settled in this region. Arabic sources record Jews in the old capital of Bahrain, Hajar, at the time of the Islamic conquest in 630 C.E. In the 12th century, the Jewish traveler-adventurer Benjamin of Tudela mentions 500 Jews living in Qays, and 5,000 in Al-Qatîf, involved in pearl fishery. In the 19th century, there were Jewish merchants from Iraq, Persia, and India in Bahrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bahrain and the United States have been allies since Bahrain's independence in 1971 and have maintained close relations with shared economic and geopolitical interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations exist between Bahrain and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Pakistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Extremely strong and cordial relations exist between Bahrain and Pakistan. Bahrain maintains an embassy in Islamabad and a Consulate-General in Karachi, whilst Pakistan maintains an embassy in Manama. Both countries are members of the OIC and of the G 77.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–United Arab Emirates relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–United Arab Emirates relations traces its origins to the early days of the Oslo Accords, where Israeli and Emirati diplomats had contact with each other in the 1990's in Washington D.C. The first diplomatic facility between the two countries opened in 2015, when Israel opened an official diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–United Arab Emirates relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations exist between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Relations between the two countries are close and friendly, with the U.A.E. having an embassy in Manama while Bahrain maintains its embassy in Abu Dhabi. Both states are geographically a part of the Persian Gulf and lie in close proximity to one another; both are also members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations exist between the countries of Bahrain and Iran. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, relations between the two countries have been strained over various geopolitical issues such as the interpretations of Islam, Awakening of the Islamic world, and relations with the United States, Europe, and other Western countries. In addition, Iran has been severely critical of Bahrain for hosting the United States Fifth Fleet within the Persian Gulf at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Japan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Historic and current bilateral relationship exist between Bahrain and Japan. Diplomatic relations were first established in 1972, and since then they have had increasing economic, cultural, and military cooperation, with Japan becoming one of the major trading partners of Bahrain. Several high-level official visits have taken place, including by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Japan in 2012, Crown Prince Salman in 2013, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Bahrain in 2013, with the governments of both countries expressing their intent to continue to increase their bilateral relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine–Saudi Arabia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Saudi Arabia–Palestine relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Palestine. Their relationship has many facets, and is at best considered complex. The Saudi government struggles to balance the largely pro-Palestinian sympathies among its populace, with its interest in maintaining positive relations with the US in return for protection against hostile actors. There is also an increasing generational divide on the issue of normalization with Israel, with people under 30 more likely to support normalization and reject pan-Arabism than their elders.

The Arab–Israeli alliance, sometimes referred to as the Israeli–Sunni alliance, is an unofficial security coalition comprising Israel and various Arab countries. Originally formed in the interest of the Gulf Cooperation Council, it is primarily focused on deterring the political and military ambitions of Iran, and has been actively promoted by the United States since the February 2019 Warsaw conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and the UAE

The Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement, officially the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel, was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates on August 13, 2020, officially referred to as the Abraham Accords. The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel, as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so. Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank. The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries. The agreement was signed at the White House on September 15, 2020. It was approved unanimously by the Israeli cabinet on October 12 and was ratified by the Knesset on October 15. The UAE parliament and cabinet ratified the agreement on October 19. The agreement went into effect on January 5, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Accords</span> 2020 series of Arab–Israeli normalization agreements

The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the announcement of August 13, 2020, concerned Israel and the UAE before the subsequent announcement of an agreement between Israel and Bahrain on September 11, 2020. On September 15, 2020, the signing of the agreements was hosted by US president Trump on the Truman Balcony of the White House amid elaborate staging intended to evoke the signings of historic formal peace treaties in prior administrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and Bahrain

The Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement, officially Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations, is an agreement to normalize diplomatic and other relations between Bahrain and Israel. The agreement was announced by President Donald Trump on September 11, 2020, and followed on from a joint statement, officially referred to as the Abraham Accords, by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020. It was formally signed on September 15, 2020, at the White House in Washington, D.C., and made Bahrain the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel and the second within a month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Palestine relations</span> Bilateral relations

Political and economic relations exist between the State of Palestine and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The State of Palestine has an embassy in Manama. But Bahrain does not have a representative office or embassy in the State of Palestine. The two countries form part of the Middle East region and share strong and similar cultural ties together. Hundreds of Palestinians reside in Bahrain to live and work.

The Israel–Sudan normalization agreement is an agreement that took place on October 23, 2020, whereby Israel and Sudan agreed that they will normalize relations. It is not clear if the deal establishes full diplomatic relations between the two nations. According to Axios reporting on March 10, 2021, "While Israel has presented Sudan with a draft agreement for establishing diplomatic relations, the Sudanese want an endorsement from the Biden administration." The agreement came after the agreements of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed with Israel in September 2020. Unlike the latter two, Sudan had sent troops to fight against Israel in major Arab-Israeli wars and considered Israel an enemy state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli normalization</span> Peace efforts between Arab states and Israel

Since the 1970s, there has been a parallel effort made to find terms upon which peace can be agreed to in the Arab–Israeli conflict and also specifically the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Over the years, numerous Arab League countries have signed peace and normalization treaties with Israel, beginning with the Egypt–Israel peace treaty (1979). Despite the failure to implement the Israeli–Lebanese peace accords (1983), more treaties continued with the Israeli–Palestinian peace process (1991–present), the Israel–Jordan peace treaty (1994), the Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel–United Arab Emirates and Israel–Bahrain (2020), the Israel–Sudan normalization agreement (2020) and the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement (2020). Moreover, numerous Arab League members established semi-official relations with Israel.

References

  1. ↑ "Bahrain foreign minister defends Australia's decision on Jerusalem". Reuters. 2018-12-16. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  2. ↑ "Bahrain minister calls for open communication with Israel". Gulf News. 27 June 2019. 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". The Times of Israel. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  7. ↑ Ahren, Raphael; Alex; Fulbright. "Israel, Bahrain foreign ministers talk Iran in groundbreaking public meet". The Times of Israel. 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.
  12. ↑ Landler, Mark (12 September 2020). "Another Gulf State Recognizes Israel. Here's Why It Matters". The New York Times.
  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. ↑ Ravid, Barak (20 February 2011). "WikiLeaks: Bahrain FM planned to meet Israeli officials in support of peace process". Haaretz . Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  16. ↑ Melman, Yossi (8 April 2011). "Haaretz Wikileaks exclusive / Bahrain King boasted of intelligence ties with Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  17. ↑ Tugend, Tom (17 September 2017). "Bahrain king denounces Arab boycott of Israel, says countrymen may visit". The Jerusalem Post.
  18. ↑ "Bahrain denies Israel relations reports". gulfnews.com. 21 June 2018.
  19. ↑ Ahren, Raphael (26 June 2019). "At economic peace summit, being an Israeli in Bahrain feels almost normal". The Times of Israel.
  20. ↑ Ahren, Raphael. "After long wait, some Israeli news outlets okayed to cover Bahrain summit". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  21. ↑ "In rare formal visit, Israeli official attends anti-Iran conference in Bahrain". The Times of Israel. 21 October 2019.
  22. ↑ "Jerusalem chief rabbi visits Bahrain for interfaith event, meets king". The Times of Israel. 10 December 2019.
  23. ↑ "Bahrain rejects US push to normalize relations with Israel". Al Jazeera. Aug 26, 2020.
  24. ↑ Magid, Jacob; Ahren, Raphael (September 11, 2020). "Bahrain establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel, Trump announces". The Times of Israel.
  25. ↑ Crowley, Michael; Halbfinger, David M. (September 11, 2020). "Bahrain Will Normalize Relations With Israel, in Deal Brokered by Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Trump hails 'dawn of new Middle East' with UAE-Bahrain-Israel deals". BBC. 15 September 2020.
  27. ↑ "Israel, Bahrain to sign document launching formal ties". The Jerusalem Post. 18 October 2020.
  28. ↑ "Bahrain appoints ambassador to Israel following 2020 Abraham Accords". The Times of Israel. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "First Bahraini ambassador to Israel arrives in country to take up post". The Times of Israel. 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  30. ↑ Berman, Lazar (30 September 2021). "Lapid inaugurates Israeli embassy in Bahrain". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  31. ↑ Hamad, Mohammed (2023-09-04). "Israel opens Bahrain embassy, three years after normalising ties". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  32. ↑ "Israel opens new embassy in Bahrain, agrees to boost trade relations". Al Jazeera. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  33. ↑ "Bahrain expels Israel ambassador and cuts economic ties". Arab News. November 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Bahrain recalls ambassador from Israel, cuts economic ties over Gaza war: Parliament". gulfnews.com. November 2, 2023.
  35. ↑ Hamad, Mohammed (November 2, 2023). "Bahrain parliament says envoy to Israel returned home, Israel says ties stable". Reuters. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.