Israel's Netanyahu will soon visit Manama at invitation of Bahraini crown prince
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will visit Bahrain “soon” at the invitation of the Persian Gulf kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah, weeks after the two sides signed a controversial normalization deal.
Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday that he had had a “very friendly” conversation with the crown prince, adding that it was the second time they had spoken.
“We are both very excited by the fact that we can bring the fruits of peace to our nations … in a very short time. That’s why he (the premier) invited me to come in the near future for an official visit to Bahrain. I will do that, on your behalf, with pleasure,” the statement added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi is planning to travel to Bahrain on December 3 to attend the so-called IISS Manama Dialogue 2020 security summit, which will open on December 4. Ashkenazi is scheduled to stay in Bahrain until December 6, when the conference ends.
Last week, Netanyahu hosted a trilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdulatif bin Rashid al-Zayani in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
Manama and Tel Aviv signed a joint communiqué establishing full diplomatic relations on October 18, weeks after Bahrain, following the United Arab Emirates’ footsteps, agreed to normalize ties with US mediation.
The normalization deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the deals ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.
The news comes a day after a member of Netanyahu’s cabinet and Likud party on Monday confirmed reports that the Israeli premier had visited Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the US secretary of state.
Israel’s Kan public radio and Army Radio said Mossad chief Yossi Cohen had also attended the meeting.
Sunday’s meeting marked the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials, amid attempts by the US to coax the Riyadh regime to follow its neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain, in establishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
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