IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot. Photo: Reuters / Baz Ratner / File.

JNS.org – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot visited ‎the United Arab Emirates twice over the past month, ‎Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Friday.‎

According to the report‎, during both visits to Abu Dhabi, Eizenkot met with Crown Prince ‎Mohammed bin Zayed. ‎

The meetings focused on a potential Israeli arms ‎sale to the UAE, the report said, adding that ‎Eizenkot and the crown prince also discussed a visit ‎by UAE defense officials to Israel. ‎

The Lebanese daily further alleged that Israeli Prime ‎Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was looking to normalize ‎Israel’s relations with Bahrain.‎

Quoting American Israel Public Affairs Committee ‎President Mort Fridman, the report said that Saudi ‎Arabia, Bahrain’s regional patron, has given the tiny ‎Gulf emirate its blessing to set up an economic ‎mission in Israel and to host a corresponding ‎Israeli mission in Manama.‎

The report further said that Netanyahu was currently ‎exploring the possibility of visiting Bahrain, as part of his efforts ‎to promote diplomatic normalization between the ‎Jewish state and the moderate Sunni states in the ‎Persian Gulf. ‎

Kuwait is also eyeing normalizing relations with ‎Israel, but prefers to be the last Gulf state to do ‎so, Al-Akhbar reported. ‎