Yair Lapid lands in Bahrain to open Israel’s first embassy

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid flew to Bahrain on Thursday on the highest-level official Israeli visit to the Gulf state since the countries established formal relations last year.

Lapid, who landed at Bahrain’s international airport in an Israir plane with an olive branch painted on its nose, will open Israel‘s embassy in Manama and hold talks with his Bahraini counterpart.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said five memorandums of understanding will be signed, including cooperation agreements between hospitals and water and power companies.

He said 12 memorandums of understanding have been signed so far between the two countries, among them deals relating to transportation, agriculture, communication and finance.

On Thursday too, Bahrain’s Gulf Air took off its first direct commercial flight to Tel Aviv.

Bahrain and Gulf neighbour United Arab Emirates normalised relations with Israel last year in an American-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords that built on shared business interests and worries about Iran.

Lapid returns to Israel on Thursday evening.