Bahrain mourns the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust and stands in solidarity with survivors, the Gulf Kingdom's foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, wrote in a surprising letter launched on Wednesday to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain mourns the millions of victims murdered in this heinous crime against humanity and stands in solidarity alongside the survivors and their families," Al-Zayani wrote. "There is no room for anti-Semitism, racism and extremism. Only peace and love.”
“International Holocaust Remembrance Day stands as a solemn memorial to Holocaust victims, and as a constant reminder of our universal commitment to fight all forms of anti-Semitism and hatred, so that we will never witness such horrors again.”
“In accordance with His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s vision of peace, and in cooperation with our partners in the Middle East, we continue to sow the seeds of coexistence, thus presenting to the region and the world that there is no room for ignorance and extremism, only peace and understanding.”
The letter is the latest gesture of goodwill on Bahrain's part after it agreed to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel last September in the form of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
After receiving the letter, Ashkenazi spoke to the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who praised the Abraham Accords and affirmed the incoming Joe Biden administration's interest in further building on previous achievements.
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L-R: Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the signing of the Abraham Accords at the White House
(Photo: AFP)
“The U.S.-led peace agreements have created a broad coalition of peace in the Middle East and we must all continue to work to expand the circle [of peace] and remove any threats that could undermine security and stability in the region,” Ashkenazi told Blinken.