Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Trump announces 'peace deal' between Bahrain and Israel

Trump announces 'peace deal' between Bahrain and Israel

Israel and the Gulf state of Bahrain have reached a landmark deal to fully normalise their relations, US President Donald Trump has announced.

"The second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days," he tweeted.

For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after the Palestinian dispute was settled.

But last month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to normalise its relationship with Israel.

There had been much speculation that Bahrain might follow suit.

Mr Trump, who presented his Middle East peace plan in January aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict, helped broker both accords.

Bahrain is only the fourth Arab country in the Middle East - after the UAE, Egypt and Jordan - to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948.


What have the two sides and Mr Trump said?


Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "excited" that "another peace agreement" had been reached with another Arab country on Friday.

"This is a new era of peace. Peace for peace. Economy for economy. We have invested in peace for many years and now peace will invest in us," he said.



This is a diplomatic achievement for President Trump and for his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who largely brokered the agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

On returning from a recent trip to the Middle East, Mr Kushner told journalists the Trump administration had "unleashed an energy positivity" in the region that was "quite overwhelming."

White House bullet points suggest how Mr Trump will be framing his international dealmaker credentials for his election campaign: as a harbinger of Middle East peace and prosperity, with more Arab and Muslim countries likely coming on board to normalise relations with Israel.

This will allow Mr Trump to deflect attention from the "Deal of the Century" that he failed to achieve: Israeli-Palestinian peace. That project was widely criticised as heavily slanted in Israel's favour and rejected by the Palestinians.

Focusing outward is the Trump administration's way of telling the Palestinians they can no longer dictate the region's relations with Israel.

"Another historic breakthrough today!" Mr Trump wrote on Twitter, adding: "Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal."

The president also posted on Twitter a copy of a joint statement between the three leaders - Mr Trump, Mr Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa.

"This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East" that will "increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region", the statement reads.


What has the other reaction been?


The UAE welcomed the latest move. The ministry of foreign affairs said it was "another significant and historic achievement which will contribute enormously to the stability and prosperity of the region".

However, there was an angry response from Palestinian officials. The Palestinian foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to Bahrain for consultation and a statement from the Palestinian leadership spoke of the "great harm it causes to the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and joint Arab action".

The Palestinians have long relied on a unified Arab response on the issues of Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and the acceptance of a Palestinian state.

Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls Gaza, said the move "represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause".

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a special adviser on international affairs for the speaker of Iran's parliament, said it was a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, Reuters reports.

What's the background?


There is a backdrop of the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran in these diplomatic moves.

The decades-old feud between them is exacerbated by religious differences. They each follow one of the two main branches of Islam - Iran is largely Shia

Muslim, while Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power.

The UAE and Bahrain - both Saudi allies - have shared with Israel worries over Iran, leading to unofficial contacts.

Saudi Arabia's response will be watched closely. There is no indication yet it is ready to follow Bahrain and the UAE.



Prior to the announcement of the UAE agreement in August - which included the suspension of Israel's controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank - Israel had had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries.

Last month saw the first official flight from Israel to the UAE, which was seen as a major step in normalising relations.

President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who was on the plane, described the UAE deal as having "the ability to change the whole course of the Middle East".

Bahrain last week said it would allow flights between Israel and the UAE to use its airspace.

Mr Trump is due to host a ceremony at the White House in Washington next Tuesday for the official signing of the Israel-UAE agreement.



In 1999, Mauritania, a member of the Arab League in north-west Africa, established diplomatic relations with Israel - but severed ties in 2010.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×