Israeli officer will be in Bahrain for a 34 state coalition, Foreign Ministry confirms

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

An Israeli officer will station in Manama as part of a 34-member international coalition for securing freedom of navigation in the region, confirmed a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement was in response to media reports speculating the appointment of an Israeli officer in Manama. The ministry, confirming the appointment, said it was related to “the work of an international coalition of more than 34 countries”.

The statement also said the coalition’s task includes securing freedom of navigation in the territorial waters of the region, protecting international trade and confronting piracy and terrorism. The Times of Israel has said the officer will travel to Bahrain in the next few weeks. He will serve as a liaison for the United States 5th Fleet, the report quoted Channel 13.

It is also the first time an Israeli military officer is posted to an Arab country. The move was agreed upon during Defence Minister Benny Gantz’s visit to the Gulf last week. The memorandum of understanding, the report said, “will help advance intelligence cooperation, a framework for exercises, and cooperation between the countries’ defence industries.”

“The MOU (memorandum of understanding) framework will support any future cooperation in the areas of intelligence, milto-mil (military to military), industrial collaboration and more,” the Israeli Defence Ministry earlier said in a statement. “Against a backdrop of increasing maritime and aerial threats, our ironclad cooperation is more important than ever,” Gantz said on Twitter after the naval base visit.

Israel and Bahrain normalized ties a year and a half ago by signing the Abraham Accords at the White House during the Trump administration.

Also last week, the Israeli Navy began taking part in a massive international exercise led by the 5th Fleet, the International Maritime Exercise, known by its abbreviation IMX, which is focusing on unmanned naval systems and the use of artificial intelligence.