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Israel: Bahrain ambassador takes part in Hanukkah ceremony 

December 6, 2021 at 3:21 pm

A Hanukkah menorah is seen during the visit of an Israeli delegation to Bahrain’s Jewish Community Synagogue in Manama on October 18, 2020 [RONEN ZVULUN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Bahrain’s ambassador to Israel, Khaled Yousef Al-Jalahma, attended a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony last night at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Centre.

According to the Jerusalem Post, this was the first such celebration and public event with the new Bahraini ambassador to celebrate the Abraham Accords and the relationships and collaborations that have resulted from them.

“I was privileged to be invited to multiple Hanukkah events with new friends,” Al-Jalahmah wrote on Twitter today.

Last month, Sheba Medical Centre and the two largest hospitals in Bahrain announced a partnership for future research initiatives. The partnership, reported the Jerusalem Post, will allow medical staff in both countries to learn from each other in fields such as cancer treatment and research.

“Healthcare is the most powerful engine of growth in life,” said Sheba Director-General Yitshak Kreiss. “Fuelled by the notion that healthcare is a non-political issue with no barriers in terms of what can be shared in health, together with the Government of Bahrain we devised the ‘Prosperity Through Healthcare’ initiative to change the future of the Middle East.” He added that he is “excited” to see this “friendship and partnership” grow.

The UAE and Bahrain normalised ties with Israel at a ceremony in Washington last year as part of the so-called “Abraham Accords“. The move was condemned by many people in the region, including Iran and its allies, as well as the Palestinians.

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