Bahrain becomes first Gulf council country to host Israeli Independence Day
Ties with Israel come two weeks after inter-faith conference including Jews in Saudi Arabia - and the day after Iraq banned contacts with Israelis, on pain of death
Bahrain has become the first Gulf Co-operation Council country to officially mark Israeli Independence Day, 74 years after it happened.
That also makes it the Abraham Accords country to mark Yom Ha’atzmaut and the first in the Persian Gulf.
The Israeli Embassy in Manama on Thursday evening hosted a reception for the anniverary, attended by hundreds of Bahrainis, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The event was attended by more than 300 people representing all branches of Bahrain’s government including the military, as well as the private sector.
Guests included Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, US Fifth Fleet Commander Brad Cooper and US Ambassador to Bahrain Steven C. Bondy.
There was also a performance by Israeli actor and singer Tzachi Halevy, who made his name on the Israeli series of The Voice and as an actor in political-thriller television series Fauda.
There was a recorded message from Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and a speech by Ambassador Al Khalifa.
Israeli Ambassador to Bahrain, Eitan Na’eh, who arrived in November 2021, said: “The presence of all the guests here today symbolizes the scope and depth of ties between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“Our Yom Haatzmaut reception shows the authentic, warm and genuine relationship between Israel and Bahrain – its leadership and people.
“The new Middle East is built upon a shared desire to cooperate in all areas from security to sustainable energy, water and food security to tourism and other areas.”
In his speech, Na’eh spoke about the vision shared by both governments regarding the opportunities for both nations and highlighted the economic activity between the two nations as well as investments and
Heads of major companies from Israel’s oil and gas, cyber, manufacturing, fintech, high-tech, pharmaceutical/biotech and logistics sectors were in attendance. Na’eh spoke of the joint ventures projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars within the next few years.
The Bahraini Interior Ministry’s band played the Israeli and Bahraini national anthems.
A special menu for the evening had a fusion of Bahraini and Israeli dishes.
Israel established diplomatic relations with Bahrain in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also initially included the United Arab Emirates, with the later additions of Morocco and Sudan.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
