Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, right, meets with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Manama, Feb. 14, 2033. (Haim Zach, Israeli Government Press Office)

(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett landed in Bahrain for meetings with its rulers, the second such trip to a Gulf Arab country since the launch of the Abraham Accords.

Speaking Monday before his departure, Bennett framed his visit as a bulwark against increasing uncertainty worldwide, alluding to heightened tensions in the region with Iran and in Europe, with anticipations of a Russian strike against Ukraine.

“I think especially in these tumultuous times it’s important that from this region we send a message of goodwill, of cooperation of standing together against common challenges and of building bridges to the future,” he said.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The visit is Bennett’s second to the region since the launch in 2020 of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and four Arab countries: Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. He visited the UAE in December.

Bahrain and Israel have formalized commercial ties and have launched defense cooperation. As part of Bennett’s visit, Israel said it would station a defense official in Manama.

—
The post In a first for an Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett visits Bahrain appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount