Bahrain's normalization of ties with Israel was not directed against any entity or power but aimed to bring about a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said on Monday.
The king reaffirmed Bahrain's support for the Palestinians and for an Arab peace initiative drawn up in 2002 that offered Israel normalized ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians.
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Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first two Arab states in a quarter of a century to normalize ties with Israel, in a strategic realignment of Middle East countries against Iran.
The agreement broke decades of Arab consensus that there would be no relations with the Jewish state until it had made peace with the Palestinians.
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"Tolerance and co-existence define our true Bahraini identity ... Our steps towards peace and prosperity are not directed against any entity or power, rather they are in everyone's interest and aim for good neighborliness," King Hamad was quoted by state news agency BNA as saying.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
