Photo collage: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at a press conference about the Israeli-UAE peace accords, in Jerusalem on August 30, 2020. US President Donald Trump arrive on the South Lawn of the White House on September 11, 2020. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, England on May 10, 2019. (Andrew Matthews, Andrew Harnik, Debbie Hill/AP)
By: Staff writer
Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, President Donald Trump said on Friday, a dramatic move aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.
Trump tweeted out the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
Joint Statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM
Trump also tweeted: “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!”
“This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East,” the United States, Bahrain, and Israel said in a joint statement.
“Opening direct dialog 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,” it said.
The announcement comes after a similar deal was announced between the United Arab Emirates and Israel last month. Bahrain’s foreign minister will join Israel and the UAE for a signing ceremony currently scheduled for next week, according to the statement from Trump.
