International Shia News Agency
All NewsFeaturedMiddle EastOther News

Why is Bahrain recognizing Israel?

SHAFAQNA| by Leila Yazdani: The United States, Bahrain, and Israel have struck a deal to normalize relations on September 11, just four weeks after a similar deal made the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain’s move, brings the number of Arab countries that recognize Israel to four (Egypt did so in 1979, Jordan in 1994). Why is Bahrain recognizing Israel?

The Arab states are the first to recognize Israel in more than two decades, bringing Israel closer to its goal of acceptance on the world stage and further connecting it within the region, including through direct flights to the Persian Gulf, Japan Times told. Bahrain, an island kingdom, is a pivotal U.S. ally in the Middle East. The country hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

In some ways, new announcement comes as little surprise. Israel has maintained a quiet presence in Bahrain for well over a decade. In recent years, the King has publicly denounced the boycott of Israel and hosted Israelis for conferences, while privately expanding economic and security ties. Bahrain also plays host to a very small but prominent Jewish community and has welcomed Jews of Bahraini origin to return, Atlantic Council mentioned. The announcement of normalization is consistent with Bahraini foreign policy, as reflected in statements made by Bahrain’s top official.

In 2019, Bahrain played host to a Trump administration conference promoting the economic aspects of its proposal to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, during which Sheikh Khalid, a member of the Bahraini royal family who is now a diplomatic adviser to the king, gave friendly interviews to visiting Israeli journalists. “Israel is part of this heritage of this whole region, historically,” he said.

Moreover, hours after the August 13 announcement of the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, senior Bahraini officials called Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House envoy Avi Berkowitz with a message: “We want to be next”, Newsbreak reported. For Persian Gulf Arab states like Bahrain, there’s at least one major reason to line up with Washington on this issue: Iran.

They seem eager to do what they can, although this is driven more by a desire to curry favor with Washington and enhance their cooperation with Israel to counter Iran than anything else. Indeed, the Persian Gulf Arab states’ varying perceptions of the Iranian threat seem to be one of the major factors shaping their position on the Trump administration’s plan.

Israel and Persian Gulf Arab states like Bahrain are not natural allies. There are cultural differences, but they are all being overcome right now because they share this perception in geopolitics and of opportunities, especially economic. For Persian Gulf Arab states, Israel is a hedge against the declining role of the United States in the region, as well as a rich trading partner with a high-tech economy.

Related posts

Water resources are expected to be Middle East’s primary cause of conflicts

leila yazdani

EU’s leaders to gather to discuss Middle East-Ukraine

leila yazdani

Questions and Answers on Fasting for Muslims in the West / The Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s Fatwa

Yahya

Qatar-Bahrain forge ahead with Friendship Bridge project

leila yazdani

EU-UK-USA citizens can perform Umrah without visa according to Saudi Hajj Ministry

nasibeh yazdani

Gallup: Iraqis confidence in government reaches record high

leila yazdani

Leave a Comment