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Bahrainis Protest Appointment of Israeli chargé d'affaires to Bahrain

2021-01-16 - 10:13 p

Bahrain Mirror: A number of Bahraini activists held protests on Friday against the appointment of Israeli chargé d'affairs to Bahrain and denounced normalization with Tel Aviv.

Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society posted scenes on its Twitter account showing participants holding banners rejecting normalization and considering the appointment of an Israeli representative in Bahrain as a provocative act, warning those whom they called Zionists that they will not be safe in Bahrain.

Protestors carried banners denouncing normalization with Israel. Images showed them burning Israeli flags.

"Israel is not a state, but a criminal usurper," one of the banners read.

On Thursday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry revealed the appointment of Itay Tagner as the Israeli chargé d'affairs to Bahrain. This comes as normalization ties between Tel Aviv and Manama accelerate under an agreement signed by the two sides in Washington in mid-September.

The ministry said on its Twitter account that Tagner met with undersecretary for international affairs at the ministry of foreign affairs Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

Since the signing of the US-sponsored normalization agreement, political and economic relations between Bahrain and Israel have grown, and the two sides have signed agreements in various fields.  

Last November, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani visited Israel and agreed with officials to exchange embassies and grant visas to travelers from both sides.

On the occasion of signing the normalization agreement in Washington, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said his country's normalization of relations with Israel was a historic achievement that would contribute to advancing the Middle East peace process and stability.

Arabic Version