Daily Times

Bahrain’s parliament announced on Thursday that the Kingdom has withdrawn its ambassador from Israel and terminated trade relations with Tel Aviv. This move marks a notable shift in the diplomatic landscape of the region, particularly in the context of the Abraham Accords that saw the establishment of diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Israel in 2020.

According to an official statement released by the Bahraini parliament, the Israeli ambassador has departed from Bahrain, and the Kingdom has decided to recall its own ambassador from Israel. Furthermore, Bahrain has chosen to sever all commercial connections with Israel, citing its unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people as the foundational rationale for these decisions.

“The Council of Representatives affirms that the Israeli ambassador in the Kingdom of Bahrain has left Bahrain, and the Kingdom of Bahrain has decided on the return of the Bahraini ambassador to Israel. The cessation of economic relations was also decided,” the statement reads.

This abrupt shift in Bahrain’s stance towards Israel underscores the nation’s deep-rooted support for the Palestinian people, particularly in the face of ongoing conflicts in the region. The statement from the parliament further alludes to the continuous warfare and Israeli military operations, which have raised concerns about the lack of respect for international humanitarian law.

Bahrain’s parliamentary council maintains that these circumstances necessitate further actions and measures to safeguard the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza and all Palestinian territories.

The move by Bahrain to withdraw its ambassador and sever economic ties with Israel may have far-reaching implications for the broader diplomatic landscape in the Middle East. As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, Bahrain was one of several nations that had moved towards normalizing relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, a development that signified a shift in the region’s geopolitical dynamics.