Israeli Lawmakers Ratify Accord with Bahrain

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Tuesday ratified the government’s initial agreement with Bahrain to normalize diplomatic relations, signed in a celebratory White House ceremony in September. The peace accord, part of a string of similar pacts signed between Israel and Arab nations in recent months, has already borne fruit, as last month an Israeli delegation visiting Manama signed specific contracts on trade, air travel and technological cooperation with Bahrain. The motion was approved by an 82-14 majority, with only members of the mostly Arab Joint List opposing the deal, as they did the Israel-United Arab Emirates accord ratified last month. The Joint List considers the Abraham Accords a betrayal of the Palestinian cause by the Arab world. Early next week, an Israeli delegation will embark on its first official journey to Sudan, the latest country to agree to normalize ties with the Jewish state. In late October, Khartoum announced it would sign an accord with Jerusalem after US President Donald Trump removed it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.