IDF Official to Take Post in Bahrain, Historic First: Report
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by i24 News
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz is seen during his meeting with Bahraini and U.S. Navy officials at the command office during visit to 5th Fleet Headquarters Navy Base base in Juffair, Bahrain, February 3, 2022. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
i24 News – A senior official from Israel’s military is reportedly set to be stationed in Bahrain, Israeli media said Thursday — a historic first for the two countries.
The announcement, first reported by Channel 13, marks the first instance of an official from Israel’s military taking a post in an Arab country.
The official is said to be a naval officer who will work as a liaison for the United States Fifth Fleet, which is headquartered in the Gulf country.
Bahrain became the fourth Arab state to form diplomatic relations with Israel in a subsequent normalization agreement following the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
This 2020 deal paved the way for a number of initiatives between the two states. Last week, Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz embarked on his first official visit to the kingdom and inked a security cooperation agreement with Manama.
“The MOU (memorandum of understanding) framework will support any future cooperation in the areas of intelligence, mil-to-mil (military to military), industrial collaboration and more,” Israel’s Defense Ministry explained in a statement on the signing.
Additionally, it was during this visit that the decision to station the naval officer in Bahrain was agreed upon, according to Channel 13.
The official is set to arrive in Bahrain within the coming weeks, the channel said.
