Israel’s foreign minister said on Friday that he would visit Bahrain later this month, the first such visit by an Israeli minister to the Gulf state after a diplomatic deal reached last year.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – September 19, 2021 – Diplomatic Affairs
Yair Lapid announced the visit in a conference call with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and officials from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco, who signed US-brokered agreements to normalize relations with Israel last year.
Officials praised the so-called Ibrahim agreements, which led to the opening of embassies, the launch of direct flights, and a set of agreements to strengthen economic ties. They hoped that the new relations would deepen and that other countries would follow suit.
“This Abraham Agreements club is open to new members,” Lapid said, before announcing that he plans to visit Bahrain by the end of the month. He visited the UAE in June and Morocco in August.
The Biden administration has welcomed the agreements brokered by the administration of former President Donald Trump and has vowed to build on them.
Palestinians viewed the agreements as a betrayal of their national cause because they eroded the long-standing Arab consensus that recognition of Israel should be conditioned on progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
“We must all build on these relationships and increased normalization to bring about tangible improvements in the lives of Palestinians and make progress toward the long-term goal of advancing a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” said Blinken, who hosted the video conference.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita described the agreements as a “historic event worthy of celebration”, but said that relaunching the peace process with the Palestinians is “essential.”
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani said more should be done to highlight the benefits of cooperation.
“We need to show what true regional peace, interdependence, and prosperity can practically mean in the daily lives of all the peoples of the Middle East,” he said.
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Source: Ukrgate
