Lapid said the global battle today was between “a culture of life, against a culture of death and destruction.” “Together with our friends in the Gulf, we are leading a brave coalition of moderates,” he added  “A coalition that is looking forward and creating a prosperous future of stability and tolerance.”

 

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday inaugurated Israel’s embassy in Manama, capital of Bahrain.

“The inauguration of the embassy symbolizes our political cooperation. We have agreed that by the end of the year Bahrain will open its embassy in Israel,” Lapid said in the presence of his Bahraini counterpart  Abdullatif al-Zayani.

Lapid’s office said he and his Bahraini counterpart signed deals on cooperation in medicine, healthcare, sports, and on water and environmental conservation.

At a joint press conference with al-Zayani, Lapid said: “The global struggle today is not between right and left, nor between Judaism and Islam or Christianity. The global struggle is between moderate and extreme. Between a culture of life, versus a culture of destruction and death. Today, together with all our friends in the Gulf, we are leading a brave coalition of moderates who are looking ahead to create a prosperous future of stability and tolerance. We live in a global reality in which those who are reclusive will disappear. Those who cooperate will lead both the world and the Middle East.’’

“Your visit builds on the considerable progress we have already made … and underlines once again our shared desire to spread peace, stability, and cooperation across the Middle East and achieve genuine and lasting security and prosperity for its peoples,” said al-Zayani.

During his visit in Manama, Lapid also met Bahrein’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, in what Israeli media said was the first public meeting of a Gulf monarch with an Israeli official.

“The leadership and inspiration of the king has led to real cooperation, and this meeting sets the course for the future of our relations,” Lapid said at the meeting.

Separately, the first commercial flight between Manama and Tel Aviv also took off for Israel Thursday morning shortly after Lapid landed in Bahrain.

Longtime diplomat Eitan Na’eh was tapped to serve as Israel’s ambassador in Manama. The nomination of Na’eh — who is still serving as an envoy to the United Arab Emirates pending his confirmation .

The first Bahraini Ambassador to Israel, Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah, HAS officially presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog earlier this month.

The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco became one year ago the first Arab states in decades to normalise relations with Israel in the framework of the Abraham Accords negotiations spearheaded by former US president Donald Trump.

Israel had earlier signed peace treaties with neighbouring Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.