Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (via news.sky.com)
US President Donald Trump released a joint statement on behalf of the United States, the State of Israel, and the Kingdom of Bahrain on Friday morning, announcing the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Jewish State and the Gulf kingdom. Bahrain became the second Arab state to normalize with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates inaugurated the so-called Abraham Accords last month. They follow Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel in 1979 and the Jordanian-Israeli agreement that followed the Oslo Accords in 1994.
The statement announced “full diplomatic relations” between Israel and Bahrain, including “direct dialogue” which was aimed at increasing “stability, security and prosperity” for the Mideast region, a signal that the bilateral ties will include political, economic and military dimensions. The statement also emphasized the importance of reaching a “just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution” to Israeli-Palestinian peace, as well as the rights of Muslims to access Islamic holy sites and worship freely.
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The Egyptian government hailed the announcement as an “important step,” while the UAE used similar language, calling the accord a “significant step” that would “expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation.” But not all Mideast leaders had praise for Bahrain. Iran described King Salman al-Khalifa and his government as “partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat to the security of the region and the world of Islam.” Likewise, the Islamist government of Turkey condemned the deal, claiming it would “further encourage Israel to continue illegitimate practices toward Palestine and its efforts to make the occupation of Palestinian lands permanent.” The Palestinian Authority released a counter-statement describing Israel-Bahrain normalization as a “stab in the back to the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.” The PA reportedly withdrew its emissary from the Bahraini capital city of al-Manamah yesterday in the wake of the announcement.
As the divide between North and South grows wider and more defined in the Middle East, we recognize that the coming days will become increasingly polarized in a region that is already unstable and unpredictable. We encourage the global FAI family to continue in prayer and petition for the success of Arab-Israeli peace initiatives, divine restraint of malicious powers in the region, and a spirit of wisdom for regional leaders and the Trump administration, as more Arab nations are sure to follow the lead of the UAE and Bahrain in the coming weeks and months.
Maranatha.
