Context

Israel and Bahrain have formally established diplomatic relations. The deal - brokered by the US - was signed in the Bahrain capital, Manama.

Recognition of Israel

• For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after the Palestinian dispute was settled.
• Bahrain is now the fourth Arab country in the Middle East - after the UAE, Egypt and Jordan - to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948.
  • The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and
    • Iran and Turkey are not Arab countries and their primary languages are Farsi and Turkish respectively.

The mediator

• It is important to note that the United States acted as a kind of "mediator" between the countries, openly supporting Israel.
• The current US president, Donald Trump, stressed that he restored "trust" with his regional partners, managing to eliminate the caliphate of the Islamic State.