MANAMA (Dispatches) --
Protesters in Bahrain chanted “death to Israel” at rallies against Zionist president Isaac Herzog’s upcoming visit to the Persian Gulf state.
They gathered in several areas of the tiny country to denounce Herzog’s arrival on Sunday. He will be the first president of the occupying regime of Israel to visit Bahrain.
The protesters were affiliated with opposition groups. Some carried signs with Herzog’s image that said “criminal” and “you are not welcome in Bahrain.”
The demonstrators reiterated that the Palestinian cause will remain their primary matter of concern, and that they reject all forms of normalization with the Tel Aviv regime.
A Bahraini opposition outlet said the demonstrators burned an Israeli flag and squared off with riot police.
Peaceful demonstrations were reported in numerous Bahraini towns and villages, including Karrana, Diraz, Sanabis and Sitra.
Bahrain’s top cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim said, “Our proud people should say no to the desecration of the land of faith and dignity by the head of the Zionist entity.”
A Thursday report from the occupying regime of Israel’s Channel 12 said the Shin Bet had decided to boost Herzog’s security detail for the trip following an online social media campaign from Bahraini opposition activists.
One of the activist posts against Herzog said, “All normalization is an act of treason. Do not come.”
Herzog is slated to take off for the state visit on Sunday at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
While there, he will meet with members of the local Jewish community and senior government officials and will lead a group of Zionist businesspeople to meet with the Bahrain Economic Development Board.
The next day, Herzog will head to the United Arab Emirates to meet with his Emirati counterpart Muhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi ruler known colloquially as MBZ. Herzog will also attend the Abu Dhabi Space Debate.
The Zionist regime normalized ties with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The agreement paved the way for normalization with Morocco months later.
In January, Herzog visited the UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai in a two-day trip.
Last month, presumptive incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The pair shared their desire to continue to deepen relations and Netanyahu invited Al Khalifa to visit Occupied Palestine.
In October, a delegation of Israeli paratroopers held a joint jump over Bahrain, alongside soldiers from the Persian Gulf nation, the UAE, and the United States to mark two years since the signing of the Abraham Accords.