Bahrain appoints first-ever ambassador to Israel

Bahrain officially appointed Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah as the Gulf state’s first-ever ambassador to Israel.

Bahraini monarch Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa formalized the appointment, some three months after King Hamad issued royal decrees establishing his country’s diplomatic mission to Israel and naming al-Jalahma to head it up.

“His Majesty, may God preserve him, congratulated Ambassador Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah, and His Majesty expressed his lofty directives to the ambassador, wishing him success in promoting Bahrain’s noble message of peace and the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” official Bahraini media said.

Al-Jalahmah serves as director of operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry and was previously deputy chief of mission at Bahrain’s embassy to the United States from 2009 to 2013.

Bahrain is one of several Arab countries that agreed to normalize relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords that were initiated by the Trump administration in the US.

Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa recently congratulated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid, a day after the new Israeli government was sworn in.

Recent reports indicated that the Biden administration is laying the groundwork for a renewed push to encourage more Arab countries to sign accords with Israel and working to strengthen existing deals.

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