Why Now Was the Right Time for Bahrain to Normalize Relations with Israel

October 29, 2020

I’ve read a lot of analysis by experts and pundits over the past few weeks about why Bahrain chose to normalize relations with Israel. Much of this commentary is well informed, but an equal portion misses the mark.

In many ways, the Sept. 15 White House signing ceremony and the Oct. 19 conclusion in Manama of a Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic, Peaceful, and Friendly Relations between Bahrain and Israel, as well as a collection of seven memoranda of understanding, are but the culmination of years of focused but patient statecraft.

Over a decade ago, we shut down the Israel Boycott Office, based on legislation passed by our national parliament. Since then, senior Bahraini and Israeli officials have met regularly in international fora. 

In 2019, our then–foreign minister told Israeli journalists visiting Bahrain: “Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region, historically…The Jewish people have a place amongst us.” He made this statement, in part, because Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Bahrainis have been living together harmoniously on our island for centuries.

Read the full article from Fortune.