US President Donald Trump, King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa of Bahrain, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain, the White House said in a statement.
Bahrain thus becomes the second Gulf state to normalize ties with Israel, after the UAE and Israel announced they were normalizing relations on August 13.
The White House statement said that Bahrain has accepted President Trump's invitation to join Israel and the United Arab Emirates at the historic signing ceremony of their peace agreement next week at the White House, where Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani will be signing a historic Declaration of Peace.
“This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region,” the statement said.
“The United States expresses its gratitude to the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting the historic Peace to Prosperity workshop in Manama on June 25, 2019, to advance the cause of peace, dignity, and economic opportunity for the Palestinian people. The parties will continue their efforts in this regard to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential. Israel affirmed that as set forth in the Vision for Peace, all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem's other holy sites will remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths,” it added.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he was excited to announce a peace agreement with another Arab country - Bahrain.
"It took us 26 years since the second peace agreement with an Arab state to reach a third peace agreement, and it took us not 26 years but 29 days to reach a peace agreement with a fourth Arab state and there will be more," Netanyahu said in video published after the declaration.
"This is a new era of peace. Peace for peace. Economy for economy," he added.
Trump welcomed the Bahrain-Israel agreement on Twitter, hailing it as a “historic breakthrough”.
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal – the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!” he tweeted.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman welcomed the signing of the agreement with Bahrain.
“From Israel - Jordan peace agreement to Israel - UAE peace agreement: 26 years. From Israel - UAE peace agreement to Israel - Bahrain peace agreement: 29 days!! Trump diplomacy in action, wasting no time in changing the world for the better!” he tweeted.
Friday’s agreement follows several reports in recent weeks that Bahrain and Israel were working to finalize an agreement to normalize ties between the two countries.
The Bahraini government announced last week that it had accepted a request from the government of the United Arab Emirates to allow flights between the UAE and Israel to cross its airspace.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)