U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is visiting the Middle East, has made the trip worthwhile. On Wednesday (November 18), Bahrain and Israel pledged to open their embassies to each other, establish online visa systems and soon launch weekly flights between the two countries, building on the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration.
The goal of the Abraham Accords is to promote prosperity in the Middle East and counter Iran’s destructive activities in the region.
Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Jerusalem to discuss the historic Abraham Accords and “the path to peace, stability, and security in the region,” according to the State Department statement.
Speaking at a joint press conference ahead of the trilateral meeting, Pompeo said, “The United States welcomes the exchange of correspondence that will lead to the opening of embassies in each country, a truly historic step in building warm and productive diplomatic relations.”
He added, “We are also pleased that Israelis will now be part of Bahrain’s electronic visa system, a remarkable achievement in normalizing relations and facilitating travel between the two countries.”
Pompeo noted, “These agreements also tell malicious actors like the Islamic Republic of Iran that their influence in the region is waning and becoming increasingly isolated, and will continue forever until they change their course.”
Pompeo said the agreements will also “promote religious freedom. He said that once new flights from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to Israel begin, “it will be easier for Muslims to worship at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
On the occasion of Bahrain’s first official ministerial visit to Israel, Zayani said the talks would focus on practical means to achieve the goal of normalizing relations agreed upon Sept. 15.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Zayani said, “We intend to focus on trade, investment, entrepreneurship, tourism, banking, health, education, communications, technology and innovation.”
Bahrain expects to launch up to 14 weekly flights from Bahrain to Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv), as well as flights to Israel’s smaller destinations of Haifa and Eilat, as well as up to five weekly cargo flights, starting next year.
Zayani also announced that, to facilitate travel, Bahrainis and Israelis will be able to apply for entry visas online starting Dec. 1.
The two countries will also open their embassies to each other, Zayani said. He said, “I am therefore confident that this emerging cooperation between Bahrain and Israel will pave the way for the dawn of peace throughout the Middle East.”
“For this reason, I will continue to emphasize in all the meetings I attend that in order to achieve and consolidate this peace, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be resolved. Therefore, I call on both sides to sit down at the negotiating table and reach a viable two-state solution, which is what the international community seeks,”
Netanyahu said at a press conference, “Peace between Israel and Bahrain is based on a solid foundation of mutual appreciation and common interests.” The Abraham Accords make it possible “to enable the free two-way flow of ideas, innovators, and entrepreneurs between Israel and Bahrain.”
“We are unleashing the powerful forces of economics and peace for the benefit of our two peoples,” Israeli Prime Minister said.
The tripartite meeting was held in Jerusalem, which Israel has turned into its capital with U.S. backing.
Palestinians who want a state in East Jerusalem have criticized the Arab country’s engagement with Israel. But senior Palestinian officials told Reuters there could be signs of reconsideration, with Palestinian ambassadors recalled amid protests returning to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
Pompeo said in a September interview that the success of the Abraham Accords was due to President Donald Trump’s different approach, based on a consensus on “building security for the Middle East.
“The Trump administration recognized that ‘the main challenge in the Middle East is not the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, but the challenge posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its campaign of anti-Semitic terrorism around the world,'” Pompeo explained.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi will visit the Bahraini capital of Manama next month. He said he hopes the embassy’s opening ceremony will take place by the end of 2020.
Sudan followed Bahrain and the UAE in announcing last month that it would establish ties with Israel.
Recent Comments