Israel, Bahrain defence ministers discuss ‘close partnership’

Bahraini man waving a national flag (L) and Israeli man holding his country’s national flag, 11 September 2020 [JOSEPH EID,JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images]

Bahrain’s Defence Affairs Minister, Lieutenant-General Abdulla Bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi, on Monday discussed “close partnership” with Israeli Defence Minister, Benny Gantz, the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

“They discussed the importance of the ‘Abraham Accord’ with the State of Israel in enhancing regional stability in the Middle East,” the BNA reported.

It added: “They also talked about their common expectations for establishing a close partnership between the two defence ministries, which will contribute to developing the capabilities of the two countries and maintaining regional security.”

Israel, Bahrain fully normalise diplomatic relations – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

The BNA said Gantz invited Al-Nuaimi to officially visit Israel.

The news agency concluded: “The two ministers agreed to continue dialogue between them.”

On Friday, Bahrain and Israel announced agreement to normalise relations, in a move which came one month after a similar deal between Israel and the UAE.

Bahrain became the fifth Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, after Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania and the UAE. Mauritania, however, suspended ties with the occupation state following its 2014 war on Gaza.

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