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Israel imports aluminium from Bahrain

January 10, 2022 at 3:18 pm

Aluminium ingots seen at the Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C plant in Bahrain, Tuesday, April 18, 2006 [Phil Weymouth/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

Israel has started to import aluminium from Bahrain, the occupation state’s ambassador in Manama has revealed. Eitan Na’eh made his comments during an interview with Al-Ayam newspaper.

“We have already started buying aluminium from Bahrain, and I am sure this aspect will see growth in purchasing rates,” he added. Aluminium Bahrain has one the largest smelters in the Middle East region.

The envoy did not specify the quantity or value of his country’s imports from Bahrain. He did, however, say that Israel’s national airline El Al should begin flights to Manama soon.

The announcement follows that of Bahrain’s national airline, Gulf Air, which launched direct flights to Tel Aviv last September. This, said the airline at the time, came as part of Bahrain’s political, commercial and civil aviation agreements signed with Israel.

READ: Netanyahu wanted to cancel announcement of normalisation deal with UAE

Na’eh also noted that the two countries intend to conclude an agreement that permits the transfer of goods arriving in Bahrain by sea into ships travelling to Israel.

The Israeli ambassador was the state’s first diplomat to take up office in the UAE following its normalisation deal with Israel. He served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Israel in Abu Dhabi.

From 2016 to 2018 Na’ed was an envoy to Turkey until he was expelled by Ankara in protest at the deaths of dozens of Palestinians killed in violent clashes with Israeli forces on the nominal border with the Gaza Strip.

The UAE and Bahrain normalised ties with Israel at a ceremony in Washington in 2020 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.