Bahrains Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifah (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifah have held talks on the phone for the first time since the two regimes inked a US-brokered normalization deal.
Netanyahus office said in a statement that the Israeli premier and Salman had an "outstanding conversation, very friendly" on Tuesday, and the talks focused on the implementation of the accord and promotion of economic, technological and tourist ties between the two sides.
The state-run Bahrain News Agency also reported that the crown prince lauded the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel, as he and Netanyahu "reviewed potential areas of bilateral cooperation and relevant regional and international developments."
On September 11, US President Donald Trump announced that Bahrain was following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in normalizing ties with Israel.
Four days later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during an official ceremony hosted by Trump at the White House.
Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, have condemned the deals as a betrayal of their cause against Israeli occupation.
The agreements have triggered a wave of anger among the public in Bahrain, where anti-Israel sentiment runs deep.
Wefaq: Over 150 protests held across Bahrain since normalization accord
Meanwhile, Bahrains main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, once again denounced the normalization deal with Tel Aviv, stating that more than 150 rallies have been staged across the kingdom in protest at the "treacherous" agreement.
Wefaq said it had recorded demonstrations in over 55 districts despite the lockdown and widespread presence of regime forces, and that the protesters have vociferously chanted slogans in condemnation of the "illegitimate" Bahrain-Israel normalization deal.
‘Israel has been running interests section in Manama for over a decade
Separately, a number of Israeli media outlets have reported that the Tel Aviv regime has been operating an interests section in the Bahraini capital city of Manama for more than a decade.
The outlets said Israel had been running the mission in order to "strengthen economic and political measures in the region," and that the Israeli foreign ministry was planning to establish an embassy in Bahrain.
Bahrain, Israel mull direct telephone lines
Moreover, Israels Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel and his Bahraini counterpart Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed on Monday looked into establishing direct telephone lines.
The two officials discussed joint telecoms plans, and exchanged viewpoints on working together on cyber and satellite communications, The Jerusalem Post reported.
First direct commercial flight from Israel lands in Bahrain
Additionally, the first known direct commercial flight between Israel and Bahrain landed on Wednesday in the Arab kingdom.
The Associated Press, citing flight data, reported that an Israir Airlines Airbus A320 touched down at Bahrain International Airport after a nearly three-hour flight from Tel Avivs Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Israeli media said the airliner had flown over Saudi Arabia, after the kingdom allowed Israel-UAE flights earlier this month to use its airspace.
France MPs: Normalization deals undermine chance for peace
In another development, a group of 61 French legislators said normalization agreements between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel "undermine potential comprehensive peace" between the Palestinians and the Tel Aviv regime.
The lawmakers said, "Contrary to what was enthusiastically declared by Trump, the document signed in the White House was not a peace deal," the Arabic-language Arab48 news website reported.
They said the UAE and Bahrain did not fight wars with Israel as Egypt and Jordan had, stressing that the normalization deals recognize the de facto occupation of the Palestinian territories and do not offer anything to Palestinians.
SOURCE: PRESS TV
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/20466
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