Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived Monday night in Manama, Bahrain for the first-ever official visit to the country by an Israeli head of state.
Bennett was welcomed at the airport with an honor guard by Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Industry, the Head of Protocol, the Israeli Ambassador to Bahrain and other senior officials.
The prime minister is scheduled to meet Tuesday with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and the country’s Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.
The leaders are expected to discuss additional ways to strengthen bilateral ties, in addition to discussing “the importance of peace, advancement and prosperity in the region, and especially the advancement of diplomatic and economic issues, with an emphasis on technology and innovation,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz paid an official to Bahrain earlier this month, and signed a security cooperation agreement with the country.
Israel and Bahrain normalized diplomatic ties when they signed the historic Abraham Accords, brokered by then-President Donald Trump, at the White House on September 15, 2020.
