Israel approves Bahrain’s first ambassador to Israel

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi approved Bahrain’s very first ambassador to Israel on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reports. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani had appointed Khaled Yousif al-Jalahama, the Director of Operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, to the position of Ambassador to Israel on Sunday.

Mr. Jalahama’s appointment follows last year’s Abraham Accords which established full diplomatic relations between Israel and the traditionally hostile Arab country of Bahrain. The Accords also heralded the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Israel expects a Bahraini delegation to arrive in the next few weeks, to set up an embassy in the Tel Aviv area, the Jerusalem Post said.

According to the Jerusalem Post report, Mr. Ashkenazi told Mr. Al Zayani in a call on Sunday: “The Bahraini government’s decision to appoint an ambassador to Israel is another important step towards implementing the peace agreement and strengthening the ties between the two countries.”
Mr. Ashkenazi also thanked Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for courage and leadership in normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel.

For its part, Israel already had a secret diplomatic office in Manama, the capital of Bahrain: this became an official embassy, with a temporary head, in January.

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