Bahrain will build on partnership with Israel, says king's adviser

By Philip Pullella

AWALI, Bahrain – Bahrain will proceed to construct its relationship with Israel after former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies triumphed in Israel’s common election, the diplomatic adviser to Bahrain’s king stated on Saturday.

Arab leaders have largely been silent in regards to the victory of Netanyahu, whose document of hardline opposition to Shi’ite Muslim energy Iran has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Gulf leaders.

Israel, underneath Netanyahu’s authorities in 2020, normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – the place concern over Iran’s regional sway dominates safety technique – underneath U.S.-brokered pacts referred to as the Abraham Accords.

The diplomatic adviser, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, stated Netanyahu’s win was “regular and all the time anticipated”.

“We now have an settlement with Israel, a part of the Abraham Accords, and we'll follow our settlement and we anticipate it to proceed in the identical line and proceed constructing our partnership collectively,” he informed reporters.

“We'll wish to make an instance and succeed collectively and face all of the threats,” he stated, responding to a query a couple of multilateral regional method to safety that features Israel.

U.S. and Israeli officers raised the thought of an built-in Center East air defence system throughout a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden in July to Israel and Saudi Arabia, which blessed the Abraham Accords however has but to formally recognise Israel.

“We wish to be sure that we don’t have to achieve a day that we are going to face some deterioration of safety within the area of any type,” stated Sheikh Khalid, whose nation is dwelling to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

“We do wish to have the area come to phrases between all of the international locations and agree in opposition to any belligerency from any aspect to another.”

The Gulf and Israel share concern over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and community of regional proxies. Gulf states depend on america for his or her safety however have questioned U.S. dedication to the area.

Israel and Bahrain are negotiating a free commerce settlement that they hope to seal earlier than the tip of the 12 months, officers from each international locations stated final month.