President to visit Bahrain at invitation of king

Herzog is the first president to be invited for a state visit in the country as part of his planned trip to the Gulf where he will UAE, which will visit the UAE, to take place in December

Reuters|
President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday he would be the first Israeli head of state to travel to Bahrain in a visit to the kingdom planned during a tour of the Gulf next month.
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  • Israel normalized diplomatic relations with Bahrain and its Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates (UAE) two years ago in the Abraham Accords.
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    מאיר פרוש, אורי מקלב ויצחק גולדקנופף  לאחר ההתייעצות עם הנשיא
    מאיר פרוש, אורי מקלב ויצחק גולדקנופף  לאחר ההתייעצות עם הנשיא
    President Isaac Herzog
    (Photo: Emil Salman)
    Bahrain already hosted an Israeli Prime Minister earlier this year when Naftali Bennett made a two-day visit to Manama, highlighting an increasing Israeli presence in the Gulf amid tensions with regional power Iran.
    The presidency in Israel is largely a ceremonial post, but Herzog has assumed a more prominent role since there has not been a stable government for several years.
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    King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa
    King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa
    King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa
    (Photo: AP)
    Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out on top in a parliamentary election earlier this month, the country's fifth in less than four years, but he has yet to form a government.
    Herzog, according to his office, will make a state visit to Bahrain at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. He will then travel to the UAE where he will meet President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
    Israel and Bahrain are negotiating a free trade agreement that they hope to finalize by the end of the year.
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