Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, arrived in Bahrain, the first Israeli president to ever visit the kingdom. Herzog took off on Sunday morning for the two-day state visit. Accompanying Herzog is a delegation of Israeli businessmen. Following the visit to Bahrain, Herzog will travel to the United Arab Emirates. Both of the countries established diplomatic relations with Israel with the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
“This is another historic step in the relationship between Israel and Arab states, signed with the Abraham Accords, and another step toward more and more nations joining the circle of peace with the State of Israel. I will be the guest of the King of Bahrain and his government, and I hope to discuss issues of mutual interest,” Herzog said before boarding an airplane to Bahrain. Upon arrival in Bahrain, Herzog met with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
Over the weekend, Bahrainis protested Herzog’s visit, chanting “death to Israel” and “you are not welcome in Bahrain.” Prior to his visit, Herzog published a column in the Bahraini press. In the column, Herzog wrote that he “will be reflecting on how dramatically the Middle East has been transformed by Bahrain’s bold decision to embrace a warm peace with Israel.”