Israeli Officials: Bahrain Asks Netanyahu to Postpone Visit to Manama

Israeli sources reported that the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, which was planned for next week to Manama, the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, was postponed at the request of the Bahraini government.

According to a report published by the "Israel 24" website, Israeli officials said that the Bahrainis had asked to postpone the visit, provided that it be part of Netanyahu's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Netanyahu had intended to visit Bahrain and the UAE, for the first time, on December 1 and 2, but the Emiratis made it clear that the date is "inconvenient" for them because it coincides with the UAE Independence Day, and they asked Netanyahu to arrive later in the month.

The Israeli website added that after the program was changed, Netanyahu decided to visit Bahrain only, but the Bahrainis went to the Prime Minister's Office and asked to postpone the date of the visit to a later month, in conjunction with the date Netanyahu will visit the UAE.

Following the postponement of Netanyahu's visit to Bahrain, the visit of the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, to Manama was also canceled, as he had been scheduled to participate in the annual security conference held in the city.

The Israeli website" i24" previously reported that the Netanyahu was planning to visit the UAE and Bahrain early next week.

Netanyahu intended to meet the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Last Tuesday, Netanyahu announced that he would visit Bahrain soon, at the invitation of Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

He tweeted that he spoke by phone with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Al Khalifa," noting that the two sides are "very enthusiastic about the peace fruits that the two countries will reap in a very short time."

Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, confirmed last week that he had conveyed an official request to open his country's embassy in Israel, and agreed to an Israeli request to open an embassy in the Bahraini capital, Manama.