(The Guardian) The lower parliament of Bahrain, one of the original signatories to the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between Israel and some Arab States, has announced Bahrain is severing all economic ties with Israel. There was no immediate confirmation by the Bahrain ministry of foreign affairs.
The parliament known as the council of representatives said the Israeli ambassador had left and Bahrain was recalling its ambassador. The parliament said Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law. The announcement appeared on the parliament’s website.
Israel confirmed its ambassador had left, but said relations remained stable, and implied he had left for security reasons.
It would be an extraordinary step for the Kingdom to take since only last December the two countries hailed the closeness of their ties when Isaac Herzog the Israeli President with his wife visited Bahrain.
Israel has been using its social media channels in Bahrain to highlight the barbarity of the attack by Hamas on 7 October.
Earlier this week Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, withdrew Jordan’s ambassador to Israel, and asked Israel to reciprocate. Jordan is not a signatory to the accords that were drawn up in the Trump era, but have the support of the Biden administration.
Bahrain’s decision, reflecting popular opinion inside the kingdom, puts pressure on Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, the other three signatories to the accords to follow suit. Some Emirati politicians have said there is no need to do so, but at the UN, the UAE has been a leading voice calling for a cessation of hostilities.
Bahrain’s parliament did not set conditions for the full restoration of diplomatic relations, let alone any timetable.
In a joint statement with the UK issued earlier this week, Bahrain only called for a humanitarian pause, a less stringent demand than the one Bahrain’s diplomats supported in a vote last Friday at the UN General Assembly.
The parliament known as the council of representatives said the Israeli ambassador had left and Bahrain was recalling its ambassador. The parliament said Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law. The announcement appeared on the parliament’s website.
Israel confirmed its ambassador had left, but said relations remained stable, and implied he had left for security reasons.
It would be an extraordinary step for the Kingdom to take since only last December the two countries hailed the closeness of their ties when Isaac Herzog the Israeli President with his wife visited Bahrain.
Israel has been using its social media channels in Bahrain to highlight the barbarity of the attack by Hamas on 7 October.
Earlier this week Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, withdrew Jordan’s ambassador to Israel, and asked Israel to reciprocate. Jordan is not a signatory to the accords that were drawn up in the Trump era, but have the support of the Biden administration.
Bahrain’s decision, reflecting popular opinion inside the kingdom, puts pressure on Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, the other three signatories to the accords to follow suit. Some Emirati politicians have said there is no need to do so, but at the UN, the UAE has been a leading voice calling for a cessation of hostilities.
Bahrain’s parliament did not set conditions for the full restoration of diplomatic relations, let alone any timetable.
In a joint statement with the UK issued earlier this week, Bahrain only called for a humanitarian pause, a less stringent demand than the one Bahrain’s diplomats supported in a vote last Friday at the UN General Assembly.
