"Israel" in talks with Bahrain over free trade agreement

By Al-Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies & Al-Mayadeen
20 Sep 2022 13:09
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After signing the normalization agreement two years ago, Bahrain and "Israel" intend to launch negotiations to reach a free trade agreement between them.

Israeli Economy Minister Orna Barbivai with her Bahraini counterpart Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani.

Following a free trade agreement reached between "Israel" and the UAE last May, the Israeli Economic Ministry announced on Tuesday talks on new free trade agreement with Bahrain.

The Israeli Minister of Economy stated that,"the agreement will help to significantly strengthen the relationship between Bahrain and Israel, remove barriers, expand economic cooperation and help build more bridges between the countries."

It's noteworthy that the regime in Bahrain, which announced normalizing relations with "Israel" in September 2020 along with UAE in the so-called "Abraham records", has been regularly oppressing public outrage against ties with the occupation state, keeps adding to its long list of human rights violations since the political repression rose in 2011.

Since the announcement, the country witnessed mass popular protests to denounce and reject normalization.

Most recently, Bahrain's King dismissed the President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, for refusing to shake hands with the Israeli ambassador to the kingdom.

The popular protests against betraying Palestinians and their righteous cause did not prevent the regime in Bahrain from further expanding ties with the occupation entity.

During his visit to Bahrain last February, the Israeli occupation's minister of security signed a joint security agreement with Bahrain, and later announced the appointment of an Israeli occupation navy officer in an official permanent position in the country.

After the normalization deals, the demolition of Palestinian homes by Israeli occupation forces and the Israeli military incursions into Palestinian territories increased dramatically. "Israel" made it clear that it does not feel obligated to stop annexing Palestinian land in the future, let alone withdrawing from occupied regions, as required by international treaties.

Israeli occupation forces boldly increased the transfer of Israeli settlements into posts in the occupied West Bank, which is considered a war crime. According to humanitarian organizations, Israeli officials advanced plans for more housing units in West Bank settlements in 2020 than in any other year since they began tracking these statistics in 2012.