Abraham Accords Come Further into Being on Israeli Gulf Trip

Israel and Bahrain on Sunday cemented their newfound friendship, signing a joint communique in Bahrain’s capital of Manama and officially normalizing diplomatic relations. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the hosting foreign minister, called the summit “an historic event,” while Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel’s National Security Council chief and head of the delegation, described it as a “promising beginning.” Throughout the day, government officials from both countries met for roundtable discussions and signed several cooperation pacts and MOUs ranging joint tourism initiatives, communication contracts and technology projects. The Israeli team was accompanied on the trip from Tel Aviv by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz. The American group on Monday moved on to the neighboring United Arab Emirates, which was the first Gulf state to normalize ties with Israel. On Tuesday, Mnuchin and Berkowitz will return to Israel along with UAE representatives, marking another historic first.