Peace treaty between Israel and Bahrain

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Sajani, Netanyahu, Trump and Nahjan with the treaties (from left to right).
Sajani and Trump in Washington before the signing
Map of Bahrain (green) and Israel (orange).

The declaration of peace, cooperation and constructive diplomatic and friendly relations between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain was made on September 15, 2020 in front of the White House in Washington, DC by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Minister of Bahrain , Abdullatif bin Raschid al-Sajani and US President Donald Trump as a witness.

With the treaty, the two states declared their support for the principles of the Abrahamic Agreement , recognized the right of both states to sovereignty and to a life in peace and security, and announced their intention to reach agreements in various policy areas. The United Arab Emirates and Israel signed a separate peace treaty on the same day .

prehistory

Relations between Bahrain and Israel existed even before the peace treaty.

Israel boycott

Bahrain supported the boycott of Israel by the Arab League from 1971 at the latest. As part of a free trade agreement with the United States in 2005, the kingdom abandoned the boycott. However, the State of Israel was still not recognized by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Hezbollah threat

King Hamad bin Isa Al Chalifa headed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and had Hezbollah classified as a terrorist organization. He then told Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and special advisor to the King of Bahrain since 2018, in Manama in Manama : "Our only hope for a strong, moderate Arab voice is a strong Israel."

Interreligious Dialogue

After US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel , King Hamad sent an interfaith mission from Bahrain to Israel in 2017. He was the first to do this from within a Gulf state. In December 2019, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Shlomo Amar, visited Bahrain for an interfaith event. He met the King of Bahrain as well as religious leaders from Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Russia, the USA, Italy, India and Thailand.

Jews in Bahrain

In February 2018, King Hamad invited The Jewish Center of the Hamptons (JCOH) from New York to Manama , Bahrain. During the visit to Manama, the JCOH met Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo , who was the Bahraini ambassador to the USA from 2008 to 2013 and the first Jewish ambassador to an Arab country in the Middle East. The JCOH also met Nancy Dinah Elly Khedouri , a Jewish politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bahrain since 2010. The JCOH also spoke to Michael Yadgar , the community leader of the Jewish community in Manama, the only remaining indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf. They also visited the Manama synagogue - the first in the Gulf - and the Jewish cemetery.

Recognition of Israel

On May 10, 2018, the Bahraini diplomat Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa declared that the State of Israel had the right to defend itself against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "As long as Iran violates the status quo in the region and has deployed its troops and missiles, every state in the region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itself by destroying the sources of danger." Bahrain had previously been one of the Arab countries that never recognized Israel's right to exist. According to the PJMedia report , Al Khalifa not only recognized the existence of Israel, but also defended the right of the Jewish state to defend itself against a Muslim country. In 2019, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa declared: “Israel is historically part of the heritage of this entire region. The Jewish people therefore have a place among us. "

The common enemy Iran is seen by analysts as one of the main reasons for the conclusion of the agreement. The aim is to formally build an anti-Iran coalition.

Dialogue between Israel and Bahrain

In November 2018, Israel’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Eli Cohen, was invited by the Bahraini government to attend a conference on modern technology in Manama. In July 2019, Chalid bin Ahmad Al Chalifa met with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Washington DC. In October 2019, the director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry for Counter-Terrorism, Dana Benvenisti-Gabay , took part in the Working Group on Maritime and Aviation Security (German: "Working Group for Maritime Safety and Aviation") at a security conference on Iran in Manama, Bahrain, part.

content

Netanyahu and al-Sajani signed the declaration, which was referred to in the communication as the " Peace Agreement ". The term "peace treaty" was sometimes criticized because the two countries had never been in a state of war.

The declaration heralds the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries. For the first time, ambassadors are to be exchanged between Israel and Bahrain.

At the signing, Netanyahu stated:

"You have successfully conveyed the historic peace we are signing today, a peace that will find broad support in Israel, in the Middle East, in America - indeed around the world - ... will bring hope to all of Abraham's children"

Sajani stated at the signing:

“Today is a truly historic occasion. A moment of hope and opportunity for all the peoples of the Middle East and especially for the millions in our younger generations ... For too long the Middle East has been set back by conflict and distrust, causing untold destruction, which is what the hopes of the "youngest and brightest" of the Middle East repeatedly destroyed. Now I am convinced that we can change that. "

They also signed the Abraham Accords Declaration together with Trump and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayid Al Nahyan , in which seven principles are set out:

  • Recognizing the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace based on mutual understanding and coexistence
  • Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue
  • Overcoming challenges through collaboration and dialogue
  • Seek tolerance and respect for every person, regardless of race, belief, or ethnicity
  • Supporting science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humanity
  • Strive to end radicalization and conflict
  • Pursuing a vision of peace, security and prosperity
  • Applauding the progress already made in establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and its neighbors

Reactions

  • Bahrain and Israel
  • per agreement
  • contra agreement
  • neutral
  • no public Utterances

    • Palestine

    The political leadership of the Palestinians opposed the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel. The Palestinian ambassador in Bahrain was therefore dismissed.

    Yemen

    The Yemen Foreign Ministry condemned the agreement and announced that there will be no normalization unless "the rights of the people are restored in accordance with the Arab peace initiative".

    Iran

    Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, former vice-foreign minister and current special advisor to the president of parliament on international affairs, said: "The ruthless rulers of Bahrain ... should not pave the way for Zionists in the region." The Iranian foreign ministry has also condemned the agreement. Bahrain "sacrificed the Palestinian cause at the altar of the American elections ... the result will be the growing anger and persistent hatred of the oppressed people of Palestine, the Muslims".

    Turkey

    The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned Bahrain's decision to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. The move is "a blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause and continue Israel's illegal practices."

    See also

    Web links

    Individual evidence

    1. ^ Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations
    2. ↑ a b kev / dpa: Bahrain wants to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Reuters, September 11, 2020, accessed on September 11, 2020 : "A joint statement by the USA, Bahrain and Israel said on Friday that Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Sajani would sign a" declaration of peace "with Netanyahu at the ceremony."
    3. ↑ a b Rabbi Marc Schneier: Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement. Israel and Bahrain - a timeline to peace. From the legislation against Hezbollah, to meetings at the peace workshop. These are the events which led up to the agreement with Bahrain. Arutz Sheva, September 16, 2020, accessed on September 16, 2020 .
    4. ↑ Mona Sarkis: Many ships will come. Retrieved September 17, 2020 .
    5. ^ Rabbi Marc Schneier: Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement. Israel and Bahrain - a timeline to peace. From the legislation against Hezbollah, to meetings at the peace workshop. These are the events which led up to the agreement with Bahrain. Arutz Sheva, September 16, 2020, accessed on September 16, 2020 : “King Hamad led the effort for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to legislate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Following his success in doing so, he told Rabbi Schneier (later appointed as a special advisor to King Hamad in 2018) during a meeting in his palace in Manama in 2016 that “our only hope for a strong moderate Arab voice is a strong Israel. ”“
    6. ^ Rabbi Marc Schneier: Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement. Israel and Bahrain - a timeline to peace. From the legislation against Hezbollah, to meetings at the peace workshop. These are the events which led up to the agreement with Bahrain. Arutz Sheva, September 16, 2020, accessed on September 16, 2020 : “After US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, King Hamad sent an interfaith mission from Bahrain to Israel. He was the first to do so from any Gulf state. "
    7. ^ Toi Staff: Jerusalem chief rabbi visits Bahrain for interfaith event, meets king. 'The people of the Middle East want peace with Israel,' Shlomo Amar says during trip, amid slowly warming ties between Jerusalem and Manama. Times of Israel, December 10, 2019, retrieved on December 10, 2019 : “Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar on Monday concluded a rare visit to Bahrain, where he met the Arab kingdom's king, as well as religious leaders from Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan , Lebanon, Egypt, Russia, the United States, Italy, India, and Thailand. "
    8. ^ Rabbi Marc Schneier: Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement. Israel and Bahrain - a timeline to peace. From the legislation against Hezbollah, to meetings at the peace workshop. These are the events which led up to the agreement with Bahrain. Arutz Sheva, September 16, 2020, accessed on September 16, 2020 : “Following his majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's invitation that Rabbi Schneier bring a delegation from The Hampton Synagogue to visit the Kingdom, in February, the group flew to the Kingdom and met with government officials and the leadership of the Jewish community. We met with former ambassador of Bahrain to the United States Houda Nonoo, parliament member Nancy Khedouri and community leader Michael Yadgar who shared about the country's rich history supporting its Jewish community (the only indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf). We visited the synagogue in Manama - the first in the Gulf - and the Jewish cemetery. "
    9. ^ Tyler O'Neil: Bahrain Sides With Israel Against Iran. PJ Media, May 10, 2018, accessed on September 16, 2020 : “On Thursday, Bahrain diplomat Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa declared that the state of Israel has a right to defend itself against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "As long as Iran has breached the status quo in the region and has evacuated its troops and missiles, any state in the region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itself by destroying the sources of danger," Al Khalifa tweeted. This is extremely significant, because Bahrain is among the Arab countries that have never recognized Israel's right to exist. Now, not only did Al Khalif acknowledge Israel's existence, but he defended the Jewish state's right to defend itself against a Muslim country. "
    10. ^ Rabbi Marc Schneier: Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement. Israel and Bahrain - a timeline to peace. From the legislation against Hezbollah, to meetings at the peace workshop. These are the events which led up to the agreement with Bahrain. Arutz Sheva, September 16, 2020, accessed on September 16, 2020 : "Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa:" Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region, historically. So, the Jewish people have a place amongst us. ”“
    11. ^ Israel, the UAE, & Bahrain didn't sign peace deals, they're military alliances to counter Iran. In: Responsible Statecraft. September 15, 2020, accessed on September 17, 2020 .
    12. ↑ In rare formal visit, Israeli official attends anti-Iran conference in Bahrain . The Times of Israel, October 21, 2019.
    13. ^ A b Gary Willig, 09/15/20 7:36 PM: Abraham Accords. Historical Israel-UAE Agreement. Historic day: Signing of the Abraham Accords. Israel enters into peace agreement with Gulf states UAE and Bahrain in historic ceremony at the White House. ' Arutz Scheva , September 15, 2020, accessed on September 15, 2020 : “You've successfully brokered the historic peace we are signing today, a peace that has broad support in Israel, in the Middle East, in America - indeed, in the entire world, ”the prime minister said, adding that the deal is“ bringing hope to all the children of Abraham… To all of Israel's friends in the Middle East, those who are with us today and those who will join us tomorrow, I say salaam alaikum… This [was] unimaginable a few years ago, but with resolve, determination, a fresh look at how peace is done… I know the price of war… The people of Israel well know the price of war… This peace will eventually expand to include other Arab states and ultimately help bring an end to the Arab Israeli conflict once and for all ... "
    14. ↑ Opinion | Trump's Israel-Bahrain deal furthers oppression, not peace. Retrieved September 17, 2020 (English).
    15. ↑ Gary Willig, 15/09/20 19:36: Abraham Accords. Historical Israel-UAE Agreement. Historic day: Signing of the Abraham Accords. Israel enters into peace agreement with Gulf states UAE and Bahrain in historic ceremony at the White House. ' Arutz Sheva, September 15, 2020, accessed on September 15, 2020 : "" Today is a truly historic occasion. A moment of hope and opportunity for all the peoples of the Middle East and in particular for the millions in our younger generations, "Al Khalifa said." For too long, the Middle East has been set back by conflict and mistrust, causing untold destruction "Which continually dashed the hopes of the" youngest and brightest "of the Middle East."
    16. ↑ READ: Full text of the Abraham Accords and agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates / Bahrain. Retrieved September 17, 2020 .
    17. ^ Palestine recalls its ambassador to Bahrain . TRT World . September 12, 2020 online
    18. ^ Bahrain Deal with Israel Major Treason: Yemen . International Quran News Agency. September 12, 2020 online
    19. ↑ Iranian official says Bahrain-Israel normalization deal a great betrayal . The Star Malaysia. September 11, 2020 online
    20. ↑ Iran: Bahrain partner to Israel's 'crimes' through 'shameful' normalization deal . Times of Israel. September 11, 2020. online
    21. ^ Turkey condemns Bahrain decision to establish ties with Israel . Reuters. September 12, 2020 online