Bahrain Seeks to Establish Official Relations with Israel

A "senior official" from Bahrain told an Israeli television network that his country does not consider Israel an enemy and that Bahrain will be the first Gulf emirate to establish official political relations with Israel. The I24 network reported on Wednesday, June 30, citing the unnamed "senior official" from Bahrain, that having relations and similar positions with Israel "does not contradict Bahrain's principles." The official also stated that Bahrain, within the framework of United Nations principles, is obligated to accept Israeli delegations when hosting international meetings, as "it is important for all countries to express their views at these meetings." The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, which supports Netanyahu's government, reported on Wednesday, June 30, that an Israeli delegation will head to Manama as part of an international UNESCO meeting to discuss world cultural heritage; although the Israeli Foreign Ministry told the Jerusalem Post that the presence of the Israeli delegation at the Bahrain meeting is not unusual. According to Israel Hayom, the behind-the-scenes relations between the two countries have "warmed up gradually and have become clearer in recent months." Meanwhile, Zachi Hanegbi, Israel's Minister of Regional Cooperation in Netanyahu's government and a member of the ruling Likud party, expressed ignorance about the recent developments in this area. Mr. Hanegbi added that although this development may not be imminent, he would be "very happy" if it were to materialize. According to this Israeli minister, Bahraini officials have "positive views"; his reference is to the alignment of views between Bahrain and Israel, especially regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has repeatedly stated over the past year that his country's relations with moderate Sunni governments, especially in the region, have warmed against Iran. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Israeli minister, also stated that it is time for Arab countries to make their secret relations with Israel public, and if Israel does not disclose this, it is out of respect for these countries' wishes. Last month, Bahrain ignored Palestinian protests and sent its cycling delegation to participate in the famous Giro d'Italia in Jerusalem. Last year, the Israeli Football Federation delegation also traveled to Manama to attend a FIFA meeting. Since its establishment in 1971, Bahrain had long been a supporter of the Arab League's boycott against Israel and did not allow Israelis to enter the country. However, WikiLeaks documents claimed in 2011 that Bahrain had a close and secret security cooperation with Israel, although the Manama government denied it.