(May 22, 2023 / JNS)
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke on Sunday with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
The two top diplomats discussed regional developments, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance and expand the Abraham Accords. They agreed to meet as soon as possible.
In December, Al Zayani said that Manama was “truly looking forward” to working with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and emphasized his conviction that the Israeli leader believes in peace.
The same month, President Isaac Herzog became the first Israeli head of state to make an official visit to Bahrain, with a two-day trip that also included a stop in the United Arab Emirates.
Herzog was welcomed in Manama by Al Zayani and Ambassador to Israel Khaled Yousif Al Jalahma, before heading to the Al-Qudaibiya Palace for a meeting with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
In March, an Israeli parliamentary delegation traveled to Bahrain for the first time since the Abraham Accords were signed in September 2020. The group was led by Likud MK Danny Danon. Also making the trip were Likud MK Dan Illouz and opposition MKs Yifat Shasha-Biton of the National Unity Party and Elazar Stern of Yesh Atid.
While in Bahrain, the four lawmakers participated in a conference of the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)—the largest inter-parliamentary organization in the world with 179 member national parliaments, including the Knesset, as well as 13 regional parliaments as associate members.
The same month, more than 300 Bahraini and Israeli business leaders converged on Manama for the three-day Connect2Innovate forum.
Connect2Innovate was the first conference of its kind, gathering government officials, large corporations, international organizations, business communities and technology innovators to focus on challenges in fintech, logistics, supply change, water, energy and climate.
Eitan Na’eh, Israel’s ambassador to Bahrain, said at the time, “The conference will allow our business communities to explore ways to cooperate moving forward and together, by creating a model whereby close friendly relations plus cooperation in innovation equals opportunities for growth and prosperity.”
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