Hamas condemns Bahrain minister’s comments on Israel

A senior member of the Hamas Political Bureau has condemned comments by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa that Israel is a “country to stay” in the region which should be recognised.

Mousa Abu Marzook took to Twitter to say that the minister’s call for such recognition by Arab states proved that the goal of the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Manama is to destroy Palestinian rights and normalise ties with the Israeli occupation. The Hamas official reiterated his rejection of the workshop.

According to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on Wednesday, the Manama conference could be a “game changer”. Speaking to an Israeli TV channel, Al-Khalifa added that the Manama summit could be like Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to occupied Jerusalem in 1977, which paved the way for the Camp David Accords and normalisation of ties between Egypt and the Israeli occupation. He confirmed that his country recognises the Israeli occupation state’s “right to exist” and that it wants “peace” with Tel Aviv.

READ: Gaza sees mass protests denouncing Bahrain workshop