kayhan.ir

News ID: 73781
Publish Date : 10 December 2019 - 22:10

Bahrain Opposition Slams Regime for Hosting Zionist Rabbi

MANAMA (Dispatches) – Bahrain’s main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, has strongly condemned the participation of a senior Zionist rabbi at a purported religious event in the Persian Gulf kingdom, arguing that his invitation attests to the ruling Al Khalifah regime’s hostility towards the Bahraini nation.
Al-Wefaq said in a statement released on Tuesday that the initiation of al-Quds Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar to a "mock event” hosted by the Bahraini regime substantiates the aggressive and provocative stance that Manama authorities have adopted vis-à-vis the people of Bahrain besides Arab and Muslim nations.
"The entire Bahraini nation from all strata of the society is opposed to normalization (of diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime) and such cheap propaganda programs. These steps are only favored by the ruling regime, which has not been appointed by popular vote, and rules the country with an iron fist. It, therefore, implements provocative individual policies at different levels,” the statement read.
Shlomo Amar, chief rabbi of al-Quds, concluded the rare visit to Bahrain, where he attended a conference of religious leaders at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah, Israeli media reported.
During his visit, which was organized by the Zionist regime’s foreign ministry, Amar met with the king and religious figures from several other Arab countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.
"Middle East nations want peace with Israel, the leadership should promote that without fear,” Amar said during his stay, expressing hope that in the future, such visits would not require special preparation.
He was referring to the Al Khalifah regime’s fear of public backlash in the kingdom — where anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine sentiments run high — against attempts to normalize ties with the regime.
Israel has full diplomatic ties with only two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, but recent reports suggest Tel Aviv has been working behind the scenes to establish formal contacts with other Arab countries as well.
Earlier in October, the Britain-based and Arabic-language Bahrain al-Youm news agency, citing an unnamed diplomatic source, reported that Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah had held a secret meeting with Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hungary in April.
In July, Zionist and Bahraini foreign ministers Israel Katz and Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifah met for a brief chat on Iran in Washington and the two posed for a rare photograph.
In June, the Bahraini top diplomat told The Times of Israel that "Israel is a country in the region… … and it’s there to stay, of course,” expressing desire for better relations and eventually "peace” with the Tel Aviv regime.
Those comments drew condemnations from the Bahraini public and the Palestinians, who said the remarks amounted to "open treachery” and contradicted "the position of the brotherly people of Bahrain.”
The kingdom in the same month infuriated the Palestinians by hosting a U.S.-led conference on President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-unveiled plan on the Zionist-Palestinian conflict. The contentious proposal — already rejected by the Palestinians — has the backing of Arab regimes and is widely believed to be aimed at consolidating the Zionist regime’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.