JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would visit Bahrain “soon” at the invitation of the Gulf state’s Crown Prince Salman Al-Khalifa.
Bahrain followed the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel in a deal brokered by the United States that marked a strategic Middle East alignment against Iran. The shift has enraged the Palestinians who have demanded statehood before any such regional rapprochement.
“We are both excited to bring the fruits of peace to our people and countries in such a short time. That’s why he (Al-Khalifa) 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 United Arab Emirates and Sudan toward normalizing their relations with Israel. An Israeli delegation traveled to Sudan on Monday.
Although White House officials have said more countries are considering normalizing ties with Israel, further developments appear unlikely before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 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.
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Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says he will visit Bahrain soon
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Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says he will visit Bahrain soon
- ‘We are both excited to bring the fruits of peace to our people and countries in such a short time’
Turkiye foreign minister to attend Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington
- Hakan Fidan to call for determined steps to resolve the Palestinian issue
- To also emphasize Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza, stop its ceasefire violations
ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Washington in lieu of President Tayyip Erdogan for the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” on Thursday, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
A Turkish diplomatic source said that Fidan, during the talks, would call for determined steps to resolve the Palestinian issue and emphasize that Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza and stop its ceasefire violations.
Fidan will also reiterate Turkiye’s readiness to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction and its desire to help protect Palestinians and ensure their security, the source said. He will also call for urgent action against Israel’s “illegal settlement activities and settler violence in the West Bank,” the source added.
According to a readout from Erdogan’s office, the president separately told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the Board of Peace would help achieve “the lasting stability, ceasefire, and eventually peace that Gaza has longed for,” and would focus on bringing about a two-state solution.
A Turkish diplomatic source said that Fidan, during the talks, would call for determined steps to resolve the Palestinian issue and emphasize that Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza and stop its ceasefire violations.
Fidan will also reiterate Turkiye’s readiness to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction and its desire to help protect Palestinians and ensure their security, the source said. He will also call for urgent action against Israel’s “illegal settlement activities and settler violence in the West Bank,” the source added.
According to a readout from Erdogan’s office, the president separately told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the Board of Peace would help achieve “the lasting stability, ceasefire, and eventually peace that Gaza has longed for,” and would focus on bringing about a two-state solution.
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