Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ said on Tuesday that he plans on making an official visit to Bahrain in the near future on the invitation of Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Al Khalifa.

Netanyahu’s announcement followed a phone conversation on Monday night between Netanyahu and the Crown Prince. The conversation was the second one between the two leaders and focused on ways of strengthening the relations between their two countries.

“I spoke now with the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday morning. “It was our second conversation and it was very friendly. We’re both very excited by the fact that we can bring peace to our peoples and countries in the very near future. Therefore he invited me to make an official state visit to Bahrain in the near future. I will do so on your behalf, with pleasure.”

שוחחתי עם יורש העצר וראש ממשלת בחריין, הנסיך סלמאן בן חמד אל ח'ליפה.

שנינו מאוד נרגשים מהעובדה שאנחנו יכולים להביא את פירות השלום לעמים שלנו ולמדינות שלנו בזמן קצר מאוד. הוא גם הזמין אותי לבוא בזמן הקרוב לביקור רשמי בבחריין – ואני אעשה זאת, בשליחותכם 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/2Zsx6NFaG0

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 24, 2020

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi is also traveling to Bahrain to participate in the three-day IISS Manama Dialogue security conference from December 3-6 and a Bahraini delegation is expected to arrive in Israel next week to hold discussions with Israeli officials on economic matters.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, 51, is the Deputy King, heir apparent, and deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain Defense Forces as well as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a position he was appointed to earlier this month following the death of his great uncle, long-serving Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Netanyahu’s announcement follows the visit of the first official Bahraini delegation to Israel last week.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)