Bahrain recalls ambassador to Israel and suspends economic ties

Israel denies announcement from lower house of parliament as war rages in Gaza

Protesters show support for Palestinians during a sit-in demonstration in Manama. Reuters

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Bahrain has recalled its ambassador to Israel and suspended economic ties with the country, according to a statement on the website of the Bahraini lower house of parliament.

The announcement was made as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza.

“The House of Representatives confirms that the Israeli ambassador to the kingdom of Bahrain has left Bahrain, and the kingdom of Bahrain decided to recall the Bahraini ambassador from Israel to the country. Economic relations with Israel have also been halted,” the parliament statement said.

“The parliament affirms that the continuation of war and military operations, and the continuing Israeli escalation in light of the lack of respect for international humanitarian law, prompts it to demand more decisions and measures that preserve the lives of innocent people and civilians in Gaza and all Palestinian areas.”

State media later confirmed the decision, saying the ambassador to Israel has returned to the kingdom and the Israeli ambassador to Bahrain departed the country “some time ago”.

No official confirmation of a move to downgrade or sever diplomatic ties has been announced by Bahrain's government.

Israel later denied the claims.

“We would like to clarify that no notification or decision has been received from the Bahraini government or the Israeli government to recall the countries' ambassadors,” read a press release from Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat.

“The relations between Israel and Bahrain are stable.”

Bahrain formally established ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords.

The UAE, Sudan and Morocco have also normalised relations with Israel under the agreement.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani conveyed a message of “solidarity and support” in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in Ramallah.

He called on Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where 9,061 people have been killed, including 3,760 children and 2,326 women since the war began, according to a Gaza Health Ministry tally released on Thursday.

Israel's embassy after it was opened in Manama, Bahrain, in September 2021. Reuters

King Hamad also called for peace in Gaza in a recent meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi.

Bahrain’s House of Representatives is the elected lower house of the kingdom’s bicameral national assembly. The upper house is a 40-member Shura Council, appointed by the king.

Bahrain's government decisions are usually announced by Bahrain’s state official news agency or the foreign ministry, neither of which have released any official statement confirming the statement by parliament.

Two members of Bahrain’s Shura Council who were contacted by The National said they were not aware of the House of Representatives’ statement published on Thursday afternoon.

“To my understanding, all the Israeli ambassadors from many countries were called back by their government over the past several weeks. To my understanding, both leadership and government have made no such announcements yet on halting trade relations,” one Shura Council member told The National.

Israel's continued attacks on the Gaza Strip have elicited fierce condemnation from across the region.

Hamas said that 195 people were killed and hundreds more injured in Israeli air strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday, prompting responses from Cairo, Amman and Doha – with the latter warning that continued attacks may harm mediation efforts.

Last year, Israel and Bahrain said they were aiming to sign a free trade agreement in the near future but never reached a final deal. In 2021, imports and exports between Israel and Bahrain exceeded $3.5 billion.

In May last year, Israel forged a free trade deal with the UAE, its first with an Arab country, that officials estimated would increase trade from $1.2 billion to $10 billion over the next five years.