Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed on Monday on a visit to Bahrain, the first visit of an Israeli prime minister to the Persian Gulf kingdom, and less than two weeks after the countries signed a defense agreement with an eye on rising tensions in the Gulf. The visit also comes as nuclear talks between world powers and Iran are dragging on in Vienna.

Bennett will arrive in Bahrain on Monday evening and is scheduled to meet with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa on Tuesday.

He is also meeting senior government ministers and leaders of the country’s tiny Jewish community.

He is scheduled to depart from Bahrain Tuesday night, returning to Israel after midnight.

Israel and Bahrain agreed to normalize ties in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords,” which also saw Israel establish relations with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. Bennett traveled to the UAE late last year.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / AP)