Israel and Bahrain to sign joint declaration on establishing ties

Israel and Bahrain will sign on Sunday a “joint communique on establishing peaceful and diplomatic relations” during a visit by a joint Israeli-US delegation to Manama, Barak Ravid of Walla! News reported on Friday.

The document is a significant step forward from the general “peace declaration” which was signed at the White House on September 15, but still not of a full treaty like the one between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, according to Ravid.

Sources briefed on the talks between the parties said the Bahrainis asked to sign a joint communique for now, rather than a full treaty.

The Bahrainis want to move forward more gradually than the UAE due to domestic criticism in Bahrain against the normalization move, according to Ravid.

The “joint communique” will be signed by senior Israeli and Bahraini officials, with Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin and White House envoy Avi Berkowitz also present at the signing ceremony in Manama on Sunday.

Sources briefed on the communique told Ravid it will include those principles:

Israel and Bahrain will establish full diplomatic relations, open embassies and exchange ambassadors.

Both countries will not engage in any hostile actions against one another and will act to prevent those actions on their territories by third parties.

Both countries will commit to co-existence and to educating for peace.

Israel and Bahrain will sign agreements on: finance and investments, civil aviation, tourism, trade, science and technology, telecommunication, health care, agriculture, water, energy and legal cooperation.

“The aim of the communique is to start implementing the declaration which was signed in Washington, put more meat into it, make it more detailed and define the principles of the relations between the countries. It will be the umbrella for all bilateral agreements to be signed in the next several months,” a source briefed on the plans said.

Israeli officials said the joint communique is expected to be approved by the cabinet and possibly also by the Knesset, as the UAE treaty was on Thursday.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said last month that the establishment of relations with Israel is a “civilized message”, affirming the country’s commitment for a just and comprehensive peace for all peoples in the region.

Bahrain’s interior minister previously said that normalizing ties with Israel protects Bahrain’s interests and strengthens its strategic partnership with the United States.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)