Israel, Bahrain to officially establish diplomatic relations today

Following the US-brokered normalisation deal reached between Israel and Bahrain last month, the two countries will officially establish diplomatic relations at a ceremony in Manama on Sunday, an Israeli official said.

Following the US-brokered normalisation deal reached between Israel and Bahrain last month, the two countries will officially establish diplomatic relations at a ceremony in Manama on Sunday, an Israeli official said. A visiting delegation from Israel and officials in Bahrain will sign a "joint communique (that) is the establishment of full diplomatic relations," an Israel official in Manama told reporters, Al Jazeera reported.

Israel and Bahrain will be allowed to open embassies in each other's territories once the text is signed at the ceremony. The delegation of Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat will be accompanied by US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, whose office said that the mission looks forward to "expanded economic cooperation" among Israel, Bahrain, and UAE.

Apart from the joint communique, Israel and Bahrain are also scheduled to sign "six to eight" Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), on economic cooperation and other issues. The official further stated that security cooperation is likely to feature prominently in bilateral talks.

Earlier this month, Israel's Mossad spy agency chief Yossi Cohen held talks in Bahrain with top security and intelligence officials on "topics of mutual interest," Al Jazeera reported citing Bahrain News Agency. Palestine strongly condemned the Gulf agreements with Israel and called it "a stab in the back", for Palestinian aspirations to set up an independent state.

The deal breaks a decade-long status-quo where Arab states have remained united against Israel on its treatment of the Palestinians. Right-wing Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said that more states wish to establish ties with Israel as countries value profitable trade deals over the Palestine conflict.

However, Saudi Arabia stands strong and says that it will not follow Bahrain and UAE in establishing ties with Israel without a solution to the Palestine issue. (ANI)

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