Ebrahim Dahood Nonoo, the head of the tiny Jewish community in Bahrain, welcomed the announcement of the country’s peace deal with Israel, saying: “This is a historic moment that we have never expected to see in our lifetime.”

The statement also thanked Bahraini King Hamad bin Salman al-Khalifa “for having the foresight to go ahead with this decision and his belief in co-existence and his faith and ability to break down the barriers that restrict cohabitation. We look forward to a prosperous relationship benefiting both countries.”

Bahrain has a tiny Jewish community, consisting of roughly 34 members, most arriving from Iraq in the 1880s, with the community saying it is the Gulf’s only indigenous Jewish community in the Persian Gulf.

Despite its small size, it makes its presence known, with Nonoo having served two terms in Bahrain’s parliament, the Shura Council. Another Jew, and in fact, another Nonoo, served as the Bahraini ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2013. Houda Nonoo was the first Jewish ambassador ever appointed by an Arab state and she was appointed despite having no diplomatic experience.

Bahrain’s Jewish Community welcomes the peace agreement between the Kingdom of #Bahrain and the State of #Israel as an important move for #peace in the region. Ebrahim Nonoo, the head of the community: “This is a historic moment that we never expected to see in our life time”. pic.twitter.com/ghww1bD2tG

— Bahrain Embassy UK 🇧🇭🇬🇧 (@BahrainEmbUK) September 11, 2020

The stature of Bahrain’s Jewish community has certainly been raised by the rapprochement between Bahrain and Israel. This amazing community (the oldest in the Gulf) is led by Ebrahim D. Nonoo, a trustee of ⁦@GlobalHamad⁩ and a former member of ⁦@ShuraBahrain⁩ pic.twitter.com/gyBB8ELA1u

— A F J C B (@AFJCBahrain) September 12, 2020

The government maintains friendly relations with the community and a member of the Bahraini royal family visits the community’s Chanukah party every year.

Lighting Hanukkah candles in the synagogue in Bahrain. Present are Bahraini Jews Nancy Khedouri and Houda Nonoo, Rabbi Moshe Levin, president of the Conference @europeanrabbis and Imam @HassenChalghoum. There is never a bad time to bring light into the world. Celebrate miracles. pic.twitter.com/i7qaUjGLA3

— A F J C B (@AFJCBahrain) September 11, 2020

The Jewish community established a cemetery in the early 1900s which is still in use today.

The highest respect that a community can be paid is to get space to bury its dead. Bahrain’s Jewish community is the oldest in the Gulf and has played a huge role in the country’s business and political past. Photo of Bahrain’s Jewish cemetery, courtesy of ⁦@RaphaelAhren⁩ pic.twitter.com/f8BdRqxKkH

— A F J C B (@AFJCBahrain) September 12, 2020

There were about 1,500 Jews in Bahrain prior to the announcement of the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, which sparked violence toward the Jewish community. Although unlike other Arab countries, no one was killed in the riots, the shul was attacked and community members began leaving until it eventually dwindled to its current small size.

Historic photo of Fireej Al-Fadhel, a neighborhood in Manama where many members of Bahrain’s Jewish community lived. At its peak, the community numbered 1500. Photo from “Our Beginning to Present Day,” by Nancy Khedouri. Ms. Khedouri is a member of ⁦@ShuraBahrain⁩ pic.twitter.com/j3ILEEJ42t

— A F J C B (@AFJCBahrain) September 10, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)