News / Palestine / Persian Gulf

Chanting ‘death to Israel’, Bahrainis rally ahead of Herzog visit

Saturday, 03 December 2022 11:08 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 03 December 2022 11:21 AM ]

Dozens of people take part in a rally in Sitra Island, Bahrain, on December 2, 2022, against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s upcoming visit to the Persian Gulf country. (Photo via Twitter)

People in Bahrain have taken to the streets in the tiny Persian Gulf island country to condemn normalization of relations with the Tel Aviv regime and express their outrage over Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s upcoming visit to the state.

The protesters chanted “death to Israel” on Friday at rallies called for by opposition groups and pro-democracy campaigners, and under the motto “Normalization is treason.”

The demonstrators reiterated that the Palestinian cause will remain their primary matter of concern, and that they reject all forms of normalization with the Tel Aviv regime.

Protests against the #Israeli president’s planned visit to #Bahrain & #Manama’s normalization deal with #TelAviv are continuing into Friday evening.

Peaceful demonstrations are being reported in numerous Bahraini towns & villages, including Karrana, Diraz, & Sitra. pic.twitter.com/r9ixAfxOop
— LuaLuaTV (@LuaLuaEnglish) December 2, 2022

Locals in the northwestern village of Diraz staged a rally as well to denounce Herzog’s arrival on Sunday, and condemned the Manama regime’ establishment of ties with Israel as a crime against Palestinians.

Sheikh Isa Qassim on #Israeli president’s upcoming visit to #Bahrain: Our proud people should say no to the desecration of the land of faith & dignity by the head of the Zionist entity. pic.twitter.com/P9pX4uSQNd
— LuaLuaTV (@LuaLuaEnglish) December 2, 2022

A similar rally was also held in the village of Sanabis, where participants slammed the Israeli president’s forthcoming visit to Bahrain, and voiced solidarity with political prisoners.

فيديو مباشر : تظاهرة ثوريّة غاضبة تتجه للشارع العام ببلدة #كرانة رفضاً لزيارة رئيس الكيان الصهيوني واستمراراً في الحراك الثوريّ. #التطبيع_خيانة #البحرين pic.twitter.com/gKURotpsZE
— COALITION 14 FEB (@COALITION14) December 2, 2022

Elsewhere in Karrana village and Sitra Island, which lies 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) south of the capital Manama, locals decried Herzog’s “inauspicious” trip to Bahrain and normalization of relations with the Israeli regime.

تغطية مباشرة ( 1 ) : مسيرة غاضبة وسط عاصمة الثورة #سترة رفضًا للزيارة المشؤومة وتنديدًا بجريمة التطبيع. #البحرين #التطبيع_خيانة pic.twitter.com/vNBR1PGud7
— COALITION 14 FEB (@COALITION14) December 2, 2022

Israel’s Channel 12 television channel reported on Thursday that the regime’s so-called security service, Shin Bet, had decided to boost Herzog’s security detail for the trip following an online social media campaign from Bahraini opposition activists.

Herzog is slated to take off for Bahrain on Sunday at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah.

Israeli FM arrives in Bahrain to open embassy in defiance of vehement opposition

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has arrived in Bahrain despite Bahraini people’s vehement opposition.

He is scheduled to meet with members of the local Jewish community and senior government officials, and will lead a group of Israeli business people to meet with the Bahrain Economic Development Board.

The next day, Herzog will head to the United Arab Emirates to meet with his Emirati counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Abu Dhabi ruler and known colloquially as MBZ. Herzog will also attend the Abu Dhabi Space Debate.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in an event in Washington in September 2020. Sudan and Morocco followed suit later that year. Palestinians have condemned the deals as a treacherous “stab in the back.”

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