Isaac Herzog makes historic trip to Bahrain

Israel continues to work to improve its relations with the Gulf countries, and this time it has the opportunity to do so with Bahrain. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has travelled to Manama in what he said is "a message of peace in the region". It is the first time an Israeli president has travelled to Bahraini soil, and he is doing so in a series of meetings that will continue on Monday in the United Arab Emirates, another of the countries that signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 promoted by the United States, then presided over by Donald Trump.

Herzog sees this as "another historic step in the relationship between Israel and the Arab states that signed the Accords of Abraham, in the hope that more and more countries can join the circle of peace with the State of Israel". He is accompanied on his trip to Bahrain by Ron Tomer, chairman of the Israel Manufacturers Association, Nili Shalev, head of the Israel Export Institute, Amiram Appelbaum, chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, and Amir Shani, vice-chairman of the Federation of Israel Chambers of Commerce.

Isaac Herzog himself recalled: "I am accompanied by a delegation of economic experts to strengthen economic cooperation and to promote other issues. Bahrain and its economy are very important and I am glad to have the opportunity to further advance our relationship. However, the Israeli President stressed that the most important thing on his trip to Bahrain is "to ensure that the benefits of friendly regional relations reach each and every Israeli and Bahraini".

Following his arrival in the capital and subsequent meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Rashid al-Zayani, the Israeli president is expected to travel to the United Arab Emirates to attend the Abu Dhabi Space Exploration Forum, which will also be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will later meet his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He will thus complete meetings with two of the signatories of the Abraham Accords, reflecting, once again, the importance of what many experts consider to be the "agreement of the century".