Israel celebrated Bahrain’s announcement that it was opening an embassy in Israel as “a historic day for the Middle East.”
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi stated that “the Bahraini government’s agreement to establish an Israeli embassy in Manama, and the memorandum to establish a Bahraini embassy in Israel, is a historic moment for our countries.”
He thanked the Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani for his invitation to visit Bahrain in early December and expressed hope that Israel will be able to inaugurate the embassy during this visit, “after many years of unofficial activity in the region.”
Ashkenazi hosted Al-Zayani at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on Wednesday after he arrived for a historic first visit to Israel, and headed a delegation that included senior officials from the Bahraini Foreign Ministry and other government ministries.
Ashkenazi stated that after several months of phone conversations, he was happy to meet him for the first time face to face.
“This is a historic day for the Middle East, which has experienced monumental positive changes in recent months. We are actualizing the peace that all Israelis have dreamed of for so many years,” he declared.
Israel will work to ensure that Bahraini citizens are able to receive visas for Israel through a dedicated website from December 1, as well as to establish direct flights between our two countries.
During the meeting, Al-Zayani submitted a memorandum stating the Bahraini government’s approval of the establishment of an Israeli embassy in Manama, as well as an official Memorandum of Request to establish a Bahraini embassy in Israel.
In his statement to the press, the Bahraini Foreign Minister invited Ashkenazi to the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit taking place in Bahrain in December.
Ashkenazi told Al-Zayani that “the Middle East has known too many conflicts and wars. This is the time for peace, “welcoming the Palestinian Authority’s decision to reinstate cooperation with Israel.
“Our hand is extended to peace, and the door is open to the renewal of negotiations. I call on the Palestinian leadership to return to the negotiating table without preconditions,” said Ashkenazi.
Israel and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords on the White House lawns on September 15, the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab country in 25 years.