Months following the implementation of the Abraham Accords, Bahrain has finally appointed its first ambassador to the Jewish State; Bahraini officials are expected to arrive in Israel soon to establish an embassy near Tel Aviv.
Following the unveiling of the Abraham Accords by the former US administration, a Middle East-focused diplomatic agreement that led countries from the region to normalize their ties with Israel, Bahrain has officially appointed its first ambassador to Israel. The small Gulf State is expected to be opening its embassy somewhere in the vicinity of Tel Aviv shortly.
As noted by The Jerusalem Post, Khaled Yousif al-Jalahama was appointed as the Ambassador to Israel over the weekend by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Jalahama is also the Director of Operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry and served as the deputy chief of mission at Bahrain’s Embassy to the US from 2009-2013. His appointment was welcomed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.
The FM said, “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.”
Before having formal diplomatic ties with particular countries in the past, and even now, Israel has and is cooperating with some of these countries behind the scenes. This was true concerning its relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is also true of Bahrain.
The Abraham Accords were signed at the White House on September 15, 2020.