Bahrain tells Arab states to be nice to Israel
madaresharghi King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa stated that he believes it is time to end the Arab boycott of Israel and normalize ties between the Zionist entity and the states in the Persian Gulf. This was reported by Israeli media, according to almasdarnews.com. The king reportedly made the statement during a visit […]
King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa stated that he believes it is time to end the Arab boycott of Israel and normalize ties between the Zionist entity and the states in the Persian Gulf.
This was reported by Israeli media, according to almasdarnews.com.
The king reportedly made the statement during a visit to Los Angeles, where he attended an event by the pro-Israeli Simon Wiesenthal Center.
During a conversation with the center’s director Abraham Cooper, King Hamed furthermore stated that citizens of Bahrain are allowed to visit Israel as they see fit. Cooper from his side praised the king’s stance as “ahead of the pack, and smart.”
“If I had to predict, I would tell you that the Arab world’s relationship with Israel is going to dramatically change,” the director added.
The change in tone of the king of Bahrain comes after earlier reports surfaced of a rapprochement between Israel and both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, it was reported that a secret meeting had taken place between representatives from the Saudi royal family and Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. And last June saw the leaking of several emails from the UAE’s ambassador to the US, indicating he had extensive contacts with a pro-Israeli think tank.
The move by Bahrain, while no doubt shocking to many in the Arab world, is not entirely unexpected. If Bahrain were to carry on with the plan to normalize ties with Israel, it would mean a withdrawal from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that was instituted in 2005 and officially adopted by the Arab League. The BDS agreement bars any signatory states from economic relations with Israel.