A Bahraini source revealed the details of a Bahraini official’s visit to Israel that began on Sunday to strengthen
normalization ties in light of the formation of the new government in Tel Aviv.
But source told Bahraini Leaks that Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Deputy Foreign Minister, will
discuss signing several normalization agreements with Israel.
The source clarified that Al Khalifa will discuss with senior Israeli officials the mechanisms of pushing
normalization forward and coordinating joint positions with Israel on regional issues.
However, the Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported that Al Khalifa’s visit will last four days. He is expected to
meet with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and other officials.
And the Israeli broadcaster, Itai Blumenthal, wrote last Thursday: “For those who love normalization, a VIP plane
for the Kingdom of Bahrain (A9C-BHR) is scheduled to land in Israel with a high-ranking Bahraini official onboard.”
And last May, the head of the Israeli Mossad, Yossi Cohen, visited the Bahraini capital and held meetings with the
head of the Bahraini intelligence service, Adel bin Khalifa Al-Fadil, and the head of the Strategic Security Service, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa.
At the end of last month, the Bahraini regime and Israel agreed on a framework for economic cooperation that
must be submitted for the approval of the Israeli government.
The agreement aims to enhance economic normalization relations and the free movement of goods and services
between the two countries.
Through the agreement, the Bahraini system seeks to enhance private sector cooperation, cooperation in
normalization and regulatory issues, promote joint research and development projects, conduct joint commercial
and professional seminars, and exchange experiences and knowledge in various fields.
Moreover, the agreement provides for establishing a joint economic group to enhance the implementation of the
agreement, remove trade barriers and increase the volume of trade between the two countries.
The Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry, Orna Barbibai, said that “Bahrain’s geographical location and the
country’s geopolitical importance brought this agreement in line with other agreements recently signed with Bahrain’s neighbors in the Gulf region,” as she put it.
“The Ministry of Economy and Industry will continue to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the
economic interests of the State of Israel, increase Israeli exports to the Bahraini market, attract investments from
Bahrain to Israel, and enhance economic cooperation.”
And the ministry estimates that the potential for trade between countries will amount to hundreds of millions of
dollars in the coming years.
A study conducted by the Israeli Ministry of Trade found significant Israeli export potential in health, medical
equipment, agricultural technology, water and communications technologies, construction technology, and cybersecurity.
The study also found that Bahrain’s financial services sector can serve as an accessible gateway for Israeli
companies to grow their businesses in the Gulf region.
The agreement signed by the ministry’s director-general several months ago will enter into force once it is approved.
In March 2021, official documents revealed that Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad had exploited
normalization relations with Israel to enhance his economic investments.
Also, the documents reviewed by Bahraini Leaks showed that the Crown Prince is strengthening his grip on Bahrain’s
economy and significant companies through agreements with Israeli companies.
And according to the documents, Salman bin Hamad volunteers subsidiaries or indirectly related companies to
prioritise economic agreements with Israel.
This includes importing products from Israeli settlements into Bahrain despite the international embargo.
A a result, in October of last year, the Bahraini regime signed several agreements with Israel, including establishing direct relations between the two countries.
