WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced Friday a “peace deal”between Israel and Bahrain, which becomes the second Arab country to settlewith its former foe in the last few weeks.
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and theKingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal – the second Arab country to makepeace with Israel in 30 days!” Trump tweeted.
A joint US-Israel-Bahrain statement said there would be “full diplomaticrelations.”
Bahrain has agreed to formalise the deal with Israel at a ceremony onSeptember 15 at the White House, where the United Arab Emirates will alsosign off on its own thaw with Israel announced in mid-August.
According to the statement, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa,Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump talked earlier Fridaybefore announcing the breakthrough.
At the White House Trump celebrated, calling it “a truly historic day” and”so interesting” that he was able to make the announcement on theanniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks by Islamist radicals againstthe United States.
“When I took office the Middle East was in a state of absolute chaos,” saidTrump, who faces a difficult re-election in just over seven weeks.
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The UAE’s earlier announcement of a normalization of relations with Israelbroke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict and hasseen pushback from the Palestinians and Iran.
Trump, who has made crushing sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Israel’sarch foe Iran a priority of his administration, predicted however thatthere would be a “very positive” development in the standoff with Tehran.
“I can see a lot of good things happening with respect to thePalestinians,” he added, without giving details.
Until now, Israel has been able to strike only two similar peace accordswith Arab countries — Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. APP/AFP
