The US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is set to go into effect on July 1, was conditioned on a Bahraini promise to shut down its Israel Boycott Office and remove all restrictions on trade with the Jewish state. Bahrain pledged to comply with the US demand, and the agreement was then ratified by Congress and by US President George W. Bush.
But, there is ample evidence to demonstrate that Bahrain plans to continue with its anti-Israel embargo, despite its pledge to Washington.
According to an article in the May 10 Bahrain Tribune, the country’s Foreign Minister said the boycott will remain in force. Speaking before Bahrain’s Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said, “the relations would be normal with Israel when the Arab League orders the Arab countries to end the boycott, and until then the Kingdom was sticking to the boycott.”
Khalifa made similar remarks last October, when he said that despite the FTA with the United States, Bahrain’s boycott of Israel would end only once the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council agreed to such a move.
In addition, Bahrain’s Israel Boycott Office continues to appear on at least two Bahraini government websites. On the site belonging to Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance, an entire page is devoted to providing a comprehensive description of the Boycott Office’s responsibilities.
When contacted, an official in the Bahraini Finance Ministry said, “We are in the process of dismantling it,” though he admitted that, “the office is still physically there.”
Yousif Zainal, a member of Bahrain’s Chamber of Deputies, said that despite what Bahraini officials had promised to members of Congress, “I don't believe there is any intention for the government of Bahrain to establish economic relations with Zionists.”
But, there is ample evidence to demonstrate that Bahrain plans to continue with its anti-Israel embargo, despite its pledge to Washington.
According to an article in the May 10 Bahrain Tribune, the country’s Foreign Minister said the boycott will remain in force. Speaking before Bahrain’s Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said, “the relations would be normal with Israel when the Arab League orders the Arab countries to end the boycott, and until then the Kingdom was sticking to the boycott.”
Khalifa made similar remarks last October, when he said that despite the FTA with the United States, Bahrain’s boycott of Israel would end only once the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council agreed to such a move.
In addition, Bahrain’s Israel Boycott Office continues to appear on at least two Bahraini government websites. On the site belonging to Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance, an entire page is devoted to providing a comprehensive description of the Boycott Office’s responsibilities.
When contacted, an official in the Bahraini Finance Ministry said, “We are in the process of dismantling it,” though he admitted that, “the office is still physically there.”
Yousif Zainal, a member of Bahrain’s Chamber of Deputies, said that despite what Bahraini officials had promised to members of Congress, “I don't believe there is any intention for the government of Bahrain to establish economic relations with Zionists.”