Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Amar. Photo: Itzik Edri via Wikicommons.

JNS.org – Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Amar, who previously served as the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, met Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Monday during a rare visit to the Persian Gulf state.

Amar, who before becoming chief rabbi of Jerusalem served as Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, was invited to Bahrain by the king to participate in an interfaith event, alongside clerics from Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, India, Jordan, and other Arab and Islamic countries.

“The people of the Middle East want peace with Israel and for the leadership to promote it. The Jewish faith includes the value of peace that we all want,” said Amar during his visit, according to a report by Arutz Sheva.

He conveyed to the king “a blessing from Jerusalem that will lead to a solid relationship with the State of Israel,” The Times of Israel reported.

Even though Israel does not have official relations with Bahrain, connections exist between the two countries.

This past summer, for example, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa met publicly in Washington, DC.