The oil rich Arab nation famously made peace with Israel in 2020
By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)
In a shocking move, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain has fired one of the most influential people in his government, Sheikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, from her position as the President of the Bahrain authority for culture and antiquities (she also happens to be his relative). What makes this major news, however, is the unprecedented reason for the firing, which was disrespecting an Israeli!
In June 2022 Sheikha Mai was attending the funeral of the father of the current US ambassador to the oil rich nation, as was Israel’s ambassador to Bahrain, Eitan Na’eh. When they were introduced, she refused to shake his hand, and disgusted that he was there promptly left, telling the US embassy not to publish any pictures of her taken there. As a result, she was terminated from her position, with the Crown Prince (and Prime Minister of the country) then calling Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid to re-affirm the importance of ties between the nations. Such a move is unprecedented in the Arab world, and clearly illustrates how far the Abraham Accords (brokered by then-President Trump in 2020) has changed the perception of many of the citizens of Bahrain (in addition to Morocco and the UAE) towards the Jewish State.
To understand why this is so significant, one just has to look at the difference between the recent Trump-brokered deals and previous ones. In 1979, Israel officially signed a peace treaty with Egypt, followed by Jordan in 1994. Although these treaties have been very important for cooperation in security (and intelligence), this (often) cold peace has largely been limited to relationships between governments. The rank-and-file population of Israel’s two neighbors have largely rejected the treaty and being identifiably Jewish is still very dangerous in those countries. Also, in order for those treaties to pass, Israel had to give up land and precious, limited resources like water. Indeed, in countries like Jordan, terrorists who killed Jews are regularly honored in official capacity, such as in Parliament. One particularly (unrepentant) terrorist, Ahlam Tamimi, was responsible for the death of 15 civilians (half of them children) in the infamous 2001 Sbarro Pizzeria bombings in Jerusalem. As a reward, she was given her own talk show in Jordan (although she originally received 15 life sentences in Israel, she was released in a prisoner exchange in 2011 for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit). In Jordan, it is considered taboo to punish (at least to the full extent of the law) someone who harmed Israel. The last two years, however, indicate that these most recent treaties have certainly been brokered differently!
In August 2020, the world was shocked when it was announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were to sign a peace treaty, a deal that Trump was instrumental in negotiating. In quick succession, the Trump administration would then go on to broker a deal between the Jewish State and Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These peace treaties were gained without giving up any land or resources (peace for peace) and has resulted in much good will between the citizens of these countries. As an example, 100,000’s of Israelis have visited the UAE (for more on that, click here), and many have reported being invited for tea and lunch by locals when they found out they were from Israel. Generally, no attempts are made to hide their identity, and for Torah observant Jews, wearing a clearly visible yarmulke, black hat, or exposed Tzitzit on the streets is the new norm (certainly a rarity in most of “civilized” Western Europe today). Trade deals worth billions of dollars have been signed, and much anti-Semitic content has been removed from UAE school textbooks. In Manama (Bahrain’s capital city), a synagogue recently reopened with the blessings of the royal family, who enjoy a great relationship with its tiny Jewish community. There are now direct flights between the countries and in February 2022, then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first PM to visit this country, where he was warmly received. The fact that a powerful official (she was voted by Forbes in 2014 as the 6th most powerful woman in the Middle East) and member of the Royal family could be punished for their rude conduct towards an Israeli indicate that the future is looking brighter than ever (although admittedly much work remains to be done).
Disclaimer: While thousands of Israelis and observant Jews have visited these countries in the last two years and have reported being treated very well, anyone wishing to visit these countries are responsible for independently verifying (including by contacting the local Israeli embassies) that visiting these countries are currently safe. This article is for informational purposes only and the author takes no responsibility for any of the content of this article.
Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.
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