Bahrain’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said on Monday that normalizing ties with Israel protects Bahrain’s interests and strengthens its strategic partnership with the United States.
“It is not an abandonment of the Palestinian cause ... it is to strengthen Bahrainis’ security and their economic stability,” he said in a statement. “If Palestine is our Arab cause, then Bahrain is our fateful cause.”
Bahrain on Friday said it would normalize relations with Israel, following the path of the UAE who declared it would do the same a month ago. Both countries are set to sign the peace agreement in Washington later on Tuesday.
The minister stressed that the Kingdom has been standing with the Palestinian cause since the beginning of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the decision will not undermine Manama’s stand towards the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions and agreements.
He said that after 73 years of the conflict, threats have made their way into Arab countries and the "fateful challenges in the region cannot be ignored or overlooked."
“Iran has chosen to behave in a dominating way in several forms and has become a constant danger that harms our internal security,” Sheikh Rashid said, adding that it was wise to forestall dangers.
“We are a state that is determined to develop our national capabilities, and our old and modern strategy is based on strong allies to confront potential threats.”
