BFF-39 Israelis to speak at Bahrain conference in April

565

ZCZC

BFF-39

BAHRAIN-ISRAEL-DIPLOMACY

Israelis to speak at Bahrain conference in April

DUBAI, March 31, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Several Israeli speakers are to appear
at a business conference in Bahrain next month, a move condemned by MPs in
the tiny Gulf state Sunday.

At least three Israeli speakers, including the Israel Innovation
Authority’s deputy chief Anya Eldan, are scheduled to speak at the Global
Entrepreneurship Congress in Manama, according to the forum’s website.

Members of parliament said Sunday they were against hosting Israeli
speakers in Bahrain, which — like most Arab states — does not recognise the
Jewish state.

“Parliament stresses its support for the just cause of the brotherly
Palestinian people, and it will remain a priority for the Bahraini and Arab
people,” it said in a statement published on its official Facebook page.

“The end of the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal from all Arab land
is an absolute necessity for the stability and security of the region and for
a fair and comprehensive peace.”

Officially, Israel only has diplomatic relations with two Arab states,
neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

The Jewish state has long faced resistance to its efforts to improve ties
with Arab nations because of its 50-year occupation of Arab territories.

It has, however, recently seen increased behind-the-scenes cooperation
with some Arab countries, particularly in tackling their shared enemy,
Iran.in

Bahrain’s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid al-Khalifa, last year backed
Israel’s right to “defend itself” after its military said it struck dozens of
Iranian military targets in Syria.

He said Iran had “breached the status quo in the region and invaded
countries with its forces and missiles”.

“Any state in the region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itself
by destroying sources of danger,” he wrote on Twitter

Also in 2018, Bahrain hosted a UNESCO conference attended by an Israeli
delegation.

BSS/AFP/FI/ 2110 hrs