Bahrain-Israel Establish Relations
by Mike James
Bahrain and Israel announced on September 11, 2020, that they have agreed to establish diplomatic relations just a few weeks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) worked out a similar deal (see my blog of August 28, 2020) with the Jewish state.
“This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East,” read the joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and President Donald Trump of the United States. The statement went on to say, “Opening direct dialogue 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.”
“This is a truly historic day,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “There have been two peace agreements with Israel in the last 72 years (Egypt and Jordan). This is now the second peace agreement that we’ve announced in the last month, and I am very hopeful that there will be more to follow.”
Bahrain was one of two small Persian Gulf states expected to follow the UAE’s lead. Oman might be the next small Arab state to follow.
These small Gulf States take cues from Saudi Arabia (Sunni Muslim) so the agreements are seen as having the blessing of the Arab heavyweight in the region, yet the Saudis have not brokered a peace deal with Israel. Some believe these Arab nations are motivated to have a better relationship with Israel because their common foe is Iran (Shite Muslim).
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Advisor Jared Kushner, speaks in the Oval Office to announce that Bahrain will establish diplomatic relations with Israel, at the White House in Washington, DC on September 11, 2020. The announcement follows one last month by Israel and the United Arab Emirates that they would seek to normalize relations with each other. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images)
The Bahrain announcement is less detailed than the one on full normalization between Israel and the UAE. Trump said Israel and Bahrain would exchange ambassadors and open embassies for the first time, and begin work on cooperation in health, technology, agriculture, and other areas. The agreement also provides for direct flights between Manama and Tel Aviv.
There are a number of other Arab countries that have not yet formalized relations with Israel, but the most important peace deal Israel would want to broker with Arabs would be with the Palestinians.
President Trump’s plan for peace between the Palestinians and Israel envisions billions of dollars in outside investment, much of it from the gulf region, to improve employment prospects and living standards for Palestinians.
This more sensitive political proposal was released in January and included a map of a provisional Palestinian state in the West Bank. The Palestinian leadership rejected this proposal without negotiating. Since then the Trump administration has focused on establishing direct ties between Israel and its Gulf neighbors to give Israel greater security and to apply pressure on Palestinian leaders to negotiate.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas cut off contact with the Trump administration and renounced peace efforts after Trump’s announcement in December 2017 recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and pledging to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.
The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Previous U.S. administrations had decided not to announce anything that could hamper negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The PA condemned the recent Bahrain-Israel accord as a betrayal of “the Palestinian cause” and of previous commitments made by Arab states.
I find it interesting that the modern Arabs of today and Jews can trace their familial lines back to Abraham (Genesis 16:15-16; Genesis 21:3). Tradition and history tell us that Arabs descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham. The Ishmaelites were a nomadic nation who dwelt in the country of Shur which is presently located in Saudi Arabia. Despite coming from the same father these people have had a history of animosity toward each other.
There is an interesting scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 which may be significant when we think of the end-time. It mentions the Day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night. The reason this happens seems to be because people will be happy there is peace and safety. Could this be relating to a final Arab-Israeli peace agreement that sets up a Palestinian state? I don’t know, but this is something we should be watching for. That would be such a startling accomplishment it may fool people into thinking all is well with the world when it is not.
The only lasting peace we can hope for will come from the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) when He ushers in His Kingdom on this earth.
Source: “Bahrain, Israel to Establish Relations,” by Anne Gearan and Souad Mehennet, The Washington Post, September 12, 2020.