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  1. #1
    Beetlegeuse's Avatar
    Beetlegeuse is offline Knowledgeable Member
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    Bahrain normalizes ties with Israel

    Bahrain is a piss-ant of a country by Arab standards (1/5th the size of the state of Rhode Island and population of <2 million, about half of whom are non-Arab "guest workers") but along with the same move coming from the UAE, and with Serbia recognizing Jerusalem as the legitimate capital of Israel, it's all positive news on the Israeli Front. I find this an especially auspicious announcement because while the UAE is primarily Sunni Muslim, Bahrain is almost entirely Shiite (the winner of each year's Grand Prix of Bahrain F1 race must drink sparking rose water, not champagne). Iran is the ringmaster among the Shiite countries and also is Israel's arch-enemy, so this signals the first of the Shiite coalition breaking ranks with Tehran. The more Tehran is isolated, the better for the region (and by extension, the rest of the world).

    Bahrain normalizes ties with Israel

    Bahrain and Israel agree to the establishment of full diplomatic relations in an agreement brokered by the US.

    US President Donald Trump, King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa of Bahrain, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain, the White House said in a statement.

    Bahrain thus becomes the second Gulf state to normalize ties with Israel, after the UAE and Israel announced they were normalizing relations on August 13.

    The White House statement said that Bahrain has accepted President Trump's invitation to join Israel and the United Arab Emirates at the historic signing ceremony of their peace agreement next week at the White House, where Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani will be signing a historic Declaration of Peace.

    “This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region,” the statement said....

  2. #2
    CA_DXB_85 is offline Associate Member
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    The Shiite in Bahrain are the underdogs and they're fully suppressed by the government, that is fully backed by Saudi Arabia.
    I have relocated from Ontario to Dubai for work a few years back (my roots are middle eastern) and I have been to Bahrain a few times when I was on business in Dammam, Saudi Arabia as there is absolutely nothing to do there, so everyone goes to Bahrain over the weekend to go to the movies (until like last year, Saudi didn't even have movie theaters) and have a few drinks at the bars.
    When you are in Bahrain, all you see around is Saudis, they pretty much run Bahrain.
    The Shiite in Bahrain are all shoved in the same area and whenever they try to protest anything, the army goes there and surrounds that area and shuts them up.
    During the so called Arab spring when so many many people rebelled against their governments, the Shiites tried to do the same in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia sent their army to back the Bahraini government.
    So even though there are quite a few Shiites in Bahrain, it is still considered a sunni country and fully backup and supported by Saudi Arabia.
    Last edited by CA_DXB_85; 09-12-2020 at 04:17 AM.

  3. #3
    Beetlegeuse's Avatar
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    Sudan announced they're normalizing relations with Israel, another small contribution to securing peace for Israel. Now it's the UAE, Bahrain and the Sudan.

    Bahrain already has commercial flights going to and from Israel.

  4. #4
    Beetlegeuse's Avatar
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    Saudi joining the club would be YUGE, and it's only possible thanks to the work Trump's Jewish son-in-law has quietly been doing behind the scenes.

    Mossad head: Saudi normalization ties close; post US election could see progress

    US-mediated normalization talks between Israel and Oman are reportedly close to achieving a breakthrough.

    A normalization announcement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is close and there could be major developments following the US presidential elections depending on who wins, Mossad director Yossi Cohen has said in closed conversations, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

    In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning, N12 reported that Cohen had said privately to those around him that the Saudis were waiting until after the US election, but that they could potentially announce normalization as a “gift” to the winner.

    The implication from the N12 report was that such an announcement could even come almost immediately after the election.

    However, the Post has learned that the N12 report either misunderstood or did not fully flesh out what Cohen had said.

    What Cohen actually said to those around him was that if US President Donald Trump wins reelection, there could be an almost immediate announcement.

    Yet, if as the polls suggest, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the election, though the Saudis would still want a normalization deal with Israel, there would not necessarily be a clear timeline.

    Cohen had emphasized that the Saudis did not want to give a gift to Trump and then get nothing for it upon a Biden administration taking over the reins.... (emphasis added)

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