In the past week, Naftali Bennett visited Manama, marking the first official trip by an Israeli prime minister to the Bahraini capital. And proving that the treaties signed between the Jewish nation and the United Arab States, under the auspices of Washington, bore fruit.
The Abraham Accords they were the high point of American diplomacy in the Donald Trump era, for which the Israelis are now proposing his son-in-law, Jarder Kusher, husband of his daughter Ivanka, for the Nobel Peace Prize again, while celebrating the advances of a coalition anti iranian.
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Bennett was received with honors by Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa. And the leaders discussed “additional ways of strengthen bilateral ties. Especially the advancement of diplomatic and economic affairs, with an emphasis on technology and innovation,” the joint statement said.
Bahrain, already home to the US Navy headquarters in the Gulf, will now also have defense officials and permanently stationed Israeli naval personnelsomething that gives Israel a forward base on Iran’s borders.
And that coincides with the increase in tensions precisely on that border, after the missile attacks against the neighboring United Arab Emirates by the Houthis of Yemen, aligned with the Persian state.
Justly, isaac herzogIsraeli president, also undertook a tour of the Emirates two weeks ago, where he held meetings with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed.
Both nations also normalized their relations in 2020 with the agreements signed at the White House, which now cement trade and military cooperation: the Jews offered their new Gulf partners improvements in air defense and could include the sale of the iron dome (Washington has already given its approval), the famous and effective short-range rocket interceptor.
Neighbors
Bin Zayed stressed the need to uphold the “peace agreement with Israel and send a message to the whole region that peace is the only alternative for the peoples of the area”.
But the approach of Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim monarch to Israel has been criticized by the majority Shiite-led opposition. And the country has seen protests in solidarity with the Palestinians Along with Bennett’s visit: there were uprisings in several villages, promoted by the opposition group al-Wefaq.
However, from Israel highlight the cultural transformation Underway in Allied Arab Countries: Voices that previously demonized the Jewish state, presented anti-Semitic conspiracies, and blamed the “Zionist enemy” for trying to “exterminate the Palestinian people” have been toned down.
Replacing itself with speeches highlighting tolerance towards Jews, and the benefits of sharing: in 2022, the two-way trade of goods and services between the United Arab Emirates and Israel reaches US$ 2 billion, an increase of 50% compared to 2021, with significant growth in tourism, agriculture, clean technologies and professional services.
advanced
Naftali Bennett understands that the Abraham Accords have transformed the strategic architecture of the region, with Israel moving from a defensive posture against Iran and its allies, to one offensive stance backed by a network of alliances with key Arab countries.
An alliance that also added Sudan and Moroccowith which Israel has just reached an agreement on air defense: they have signed a contract for 500 million dollars by which the Jewish state is going to supply the North African country with an advanced air defense system. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will be the company in charge of supplying the Moroccan government with the agreed arms shipment.
Benny Gantz, Israel’s Defense Minister, had met last November in Rabat with Abdellatif Loudiyi, Moroccan Defense Minister, and both had sealed the pre-agreement for the landing in Morocco of different anti-missile defense systems that the Jewish country possesses: they finally opted for the Barak MX, which has the ability to protect against missiles and drones. And it allows, thanks to its built-in radar, better coverage of the fighter planes and helicopters themselves.
Israel’s advance in these military agreements It is finally driven by a mistrust of the Joe Biden administration, who is proposing rapprochement with Tehran. This is how Bennett endorsed it in a recent speech: “The United States has been, and always will be, our best friend.
But Washington has its own set of interests, which we must honestly admit do not always overlap with ours.” And a solid regional alliance, without the permanent mediation of Washington, gives Israel the support it needs to impose its agenda.
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