On Sunday, a high-level Israeli delegation landed in Manama International Airport in Bahrain, marking the first commercial flight between the two countries.
US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, will also be present in the Israeli-Bahraini talks before signing memorandum of understandings (MoUs) to establish full diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lior Haiat said that today is a historic day as a new era of peace, prosperity, and stability will start in the region.
“We are really grateful for our American friends for helping us,” he added.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israeli National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat are part of the delegation.
The El Al flight was named 973, the area code of Bahrain.
The trip comes two days before a delegation from the United Arab Emirates is expected to travel to Israel.
Bahrain, along with the UAE, officially normalized relations with Israel at a signing ceremony at the White House last month, as part of the Abraham Accords agreement.
The two Gulf countries are the third and fourth Arab states to normalize ties with Israel. Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani said at the time that his country’s agreement with Israel is an important first step towards peace.
“It is now incumbent on us to work urgently and actively to bring about the lasting peace and security our peoples deserve,” said Al Zayani.
“A just, comprehensive, and enduring two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be the foundation, the bedrock of such peace,” he added.
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