![Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives an address from his office in Jerusalem on 3 April 2019, announcing that the remains of Sergeant First Class Zachary Baumel, a soldier missing since the 1982 Lebanon war, had been returned to the country. [MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GettyImages-1134662078.jpg?fit=1024%2C633&ssl=1)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Bahrain and the UAE on Tuesday for their criticism of Hezbollah and Lebanon, local media have reported.
“I welcome the statements by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister and the UAE against Hezbollah’s aggression,” Netanyahu told the weekly meeting of his cabinet. “They condemned Lebanon’s disapproval, which allowed Hezbollah’s terrorist organisation to act against Israel. It sounds like days of the coming of the Messiah, but it shows a fundamental change taking place in the Middle East.”
The Israeli leader added that the comments by the two Arab states demonstrate that “the Arab world also understands that Iranian aggression is endangering not only Israel but the entire region.” He called on other countries to come out against the “aggression” of Iran and its proxies.
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According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, tweeted on Sunday, “The aggression of one state against another is prohibited by international law. A state standing by, watching battles taking place on its borders and putting its people in danger is a state that greatly neglects its responsibilities.”
Meanwhile, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, pointed out that, “The decision to make war, peace or stability should be the decision of the state.”