ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU TO MAKE ‘HISTORIC’ VISIT TO UAE AND BAHRAIN SOON

Wed 25 November 2020:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would make an official visit to Bahrain at the invitation of the state’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

“Both of us are very moved by the fact that we can bring peace to our people and our countries in a very short time,” said Netanyahu in a tweet sent on Tuesday. “Therefore, he also invited me to make an official visit to Bahrain soon. I will do so, on your behalf, with pleasure.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke last night with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa; the two discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations. 🇮🇱🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/0cOKvANFPh

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 24, 2020

The news agency which is close to Netanyahu said the visit will be Netanyahu’s first public visit to Abu Dhabi and Manama and he will meet the UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed and the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who was telephoned by the Israeli leader earlier Tuesday.

“Netanyahu’s office officials are making final arrangements for the visit,” according to the report, which added that the visit follows talks between the Knesset’s Chairman of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Zvi Hauser and Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee in the UAE parliament.

Zvi Hauser was optimistic following the first official meeting between representatives of the two parliamentarians, describing it as a “historical” and “fruitful” dialogue.

Netanyahu said earlier Tuesday he would soon visit Bahrain, in response to an official invitation.

The announcement of the visit comes after Israeli media said Monday that Netanyahu traveled with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Saudi Arabia to meet the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia has denied the reports.

Israel has begun to normalize ties with Arab nations that previously refused to recognize the Jewish state, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sudan. In addition to Bahrain, they were the first Arab nations to recognize Israel in decades.

The two Gulf states ignored widespread Arab popular rejection in what was seen as a “betrayal” of the Palestinian cause.

Palestinian leadership insists that any deal with Israel should be based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative on the principle of “land for peace” and not “peace for peace” as Israel claims.

Until this year, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab states to recognize Israel after signing peace accords in the 20th century.

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