Israel's Netanyahu says he will visit Bahrain soon

Reuters | Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would visit Bahrain “soon” at the invitation of the kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Bahrain followed the UAE in normalising ties with Israel in a deal brokered by the US that marked a strategic Middle East alignment against Iran.

“We are both excited to bring the fruits of peace to our people and countries in such a short time. That’s why he (HRH Prince Salman) invited me to come soon for a formal visit in Bahrain and I will do this happily,” Netanyahu said in a statement about a phone call he held with the crown prince.

A first Bahraini delegation visited Israel last Wednesday.

Since September, the Trump administration has brokered agreements with Bahrain, the UAE and Sudan toward normalising their relations with Israel. An Israeli delegation travelled to Sudan on Monday.

Although White House officials have said more countries are considering normalising ties with Israel, further developments appear unlikely before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20 and establishes his administration’s policy on Iran.

Biden has said he would rejoin the nuclear accord that world powers signed with Iran if it first resumed strict compliance with the deal, and would work with allies to strengthen its terms.