Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, flew to Bahrain on Monday within the highest-level go to for the reason that international locations established relations beneath a 2020 US-sponsored deal based mostly partly on shared worries about Iran, Reuters experiences.
Bennett will meet with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, his workplace stated.
“The leaders will talk about extra methods to strengthen bilateral ties … particularly the development of diplomatic and financial points, with an emphasis on know-how and innovation,” it stated in a press release.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will meet with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in addition to with the King of Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/voS6EzvTLq
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 14, 2022
The 2-day journey to Bahrain, residence to the US Navy’s Gulf headquarters, comes amid heightened tensions after missile assaults on the neighbouring United Arab Emirates by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. Israel additionally normalised ties with the UAE in 2020.
Chatting with reporters earlier than take-off, Bennett stated he hoped the go to could be a “message of goodwill … and a shared stance towards widespread threats”.
READ: Bahrain confirms appointment of Israeli Navy officer
Israel has stepped up cooperation with the Gulf States. Manama hosted Israel’s Defence Minister on 2 February, and has stated an Israeli navy officer will likely be posted in Bahrain as a part of a global coalition.
The outreach by Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim monarch has been criticised by an opposition led by the Shia majority. The nation has seen protests in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israel has supplied to cooperate with its new Gulf companions on air defence, however has not specified whether or not this would possibly embrace promoting the short-range rocket interceptor Iron Dome.
Such gross sales previously have been subjected to questions of whether or not the programs could be safe and never be shared with Israel’s enemies. There has additionally been concern it will pose a industrial problem to US defence exports.
However a US official noticed no drawback in Washington, had been Israel to go forward with Iron Dome gross sales within the Gulf.
“There’s a number of curiosity in Iron Dome” within the area, stated the official, who couldn’t be recognized by title.
