This describes the individual sometimes dubbed "rabbi to kings." Schneier's persona has been linked for years with Arab and Muslim state leaders worldwide, from Saudi Arabia's monarch to Azerbaijan's president, from Qatar's emir to the United Arab Emirates' ruler. In an exclusive Israel Hayom interview, Schneier discusses diplomacy and pragmatism through the lens of faith and stated that for him the real prize is not political, but spiritual.

"I'm the 18th generation rabbi in my family," he begins. "I've always wanted to be a rabbi – and to appreciate what it means to be a rabbi."
Schneier received ordination in 1983 by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, yet his calling extends beyond the synagogue and community he founded in the Hamptons, New York. "In my office… one wall has photos with kings and presidents, but the other side overlooks the synagogue. That's what gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment."

"In my family, you have to make two contributions – both congregationally, spiritually, and also from the social-action point of view," he continues, and consequently, in 1989 he founded the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, to restore the historic alliance between African Americans and Jews forged during the civil rights movement in the United States. "Martin Luther King comprehended that whoever struggles for his own rights can only do so if he also battles for others' rights. King was a great champion of Israel… He had zero tolerance for antisemitism."

After two decades leading it, he decided to pursue a new direction, "I thought that the great challenge of my generation would be to find the path to narrow the divide between 16 million Jews and 1.8 billion Muslims. And that's what sent me off on my global journey."

Schneier recounts how Muslim world doors opened before him. "My great patron was the late King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah… he introduced me to the King of Bahrain, who introduced me to the Emir of Qatar, who introduced me to the ruler of the UAE, who introduced me to [Azerbaijani leader] Aliyev — and then Kazakhstan… Even i24NEWS today said, 'this is the one who planted all the seeds for the Abraham Accords.'"

"I say everywhere – in Riyadh, Doha, Baku, Ankara – anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Israel is not some political 77-year-old aspiration; it's at the very core of our religion." He adds, "How can you be a Jew and not be a Zionist? Why would you bifurcate? … I am, in this work, a watchdog when it comes to Israel." The leaders, according to him, value his consistency.  "One of these leaders said to me, 'Presidents and heads of state, ambassadors — they come and go, and you're always there. We all need a rabbi.'"

Beyond his community position in the Hamptons, he was appointed special advisor by the King of Bahrain to the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence based in Manama, and in 2022 served as interfaith consultant to the World Cup organization in Qatar, whose reputation in Israel naturally transformed completely following the war.

"The Qataris always come through for me… I served as interfaith advisor to the World Cup. I had three conditions: 15,000 Israelis, direct flights between Doha and Tel Aviv, and kosher food," he states, "I brought two rabbis from Turkey...  check, check, check [referring to all three conditions being met]." Qatar itself naturally leveraged the treatment of Israelis to bolster its image, while preserving relations with Israel's adversaries in the Middle East.

He portrays his warm relationship with Aliyev, Azerbaijan's president, whom he calls "like family for me. There's nothing Aliyev wouldn't do for Israel." He recalled telling one Arab leader that if he wanted to normalize relations with Israel, he should simply follow what Azerbaijan does.

With Turkey, Schneier was involved in the thawing of relations between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Isaac Herzog in 2021. "The Turkish ambassador to Washington called Erdoğan from my office… I said it would be a wonderful opportunity for President Erdogan to call President Herzog – which he did. And by March 2022 we had the famous reconciliation meeting in Ankara." Schneier adds that "Erdogan was a big disappointment to me because of his absolute hatred for Netanyahu... Erdogan loves Herzog. Loves him."

He characterizes Hamas as "a perversion of Islam," saying that the war in Gaza "is a war against evil, not a war of religion." According to him, there are 12 Muslim countries that support or express sympathy for Israel. Muslim leaders support Israel's right to defend itself.

Schneier believes the agreement to release the hostages and ceasefire signals a regional transformation. "If Hamas doesn't behave... not only will they have to deal with the Israelis, they'll have to deal with the Americans — and good luck to them." He notes that is an unprecedented opportunity. If Gaza is demilitarized and administered by an Arab consortium and provided economic hope, everything can be transformed.

Regarding the Abraham Accords, Schneier enumerated Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Oman, Syria and Lebanon, as countries that may normalize relations with Israel in the near future. However, he indicated that "There's going to be very little movement in the Arab world until… Israelis recognize that everyone wants to see a Palestinian state – even if only symbolic."

Schneier participated in the "Peace to Prosperity" conference in Bahrain in 2019, and is convinced that Jared Kushner was correct, that money and hope can alter perception. He recalls Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's words, "MBS said to me, 'Rabbi, you probably think I want to normalize relations with Israel because of Iran. That's the second reason. The first is Vision 2030 – the economic transformation of the kingdom that I cannot accomplish without Israel.'"

Schneier divides the region into two blocs, "You have the Saudi bloc – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, even Qatar – and you have the Iranian bloc… Why doesn't anyone recognize that blessing?"

He expresses concern about the situation in New York and the weakening of Jewish influence in the city, and warns against Zohran Mamdani's rise, He [Mamdani] will finesse every issue – police, education, even prostitution – except one: Israel. He won't even recognize Israel as a democratic Jewish state."

At the conversation's conclusion, he sends a warm message to Israelis, "For American Jews, Israelis are a great source of inspiration. We enjoy the security and the strength we have in the Diaspora only because of the State of Israel… It has restored the honor and the dignity of the Jewish people… There's never been a better time to be Jewish than today."

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On the surface, Israel and Saudi Arabia appear to be sworn enemies. They don't share borders, values, or culture, and for decades, Saudi officials have even made inflammatory claims about Jews. However, behind closed doors, the two countries have been secretly collaborating for years, driven by a shared pragmatism and the need to counter common threats.

Saudi involvement in the 1948 War of Independence

Even before Israel became a country, David Ben-Gurion was looking for potential allies, including Saudi Arabia. The Saudis were seen as pragmatists who didn't want other Arab countries to have too much power in the region, and the presence of a friendly state like Israel could potentially advance Saudi Arabia's interests. However, King Ibn Saud rebuffed every attempt to make contact and even sent troops to fight against Israel in its war of independence.

Yemeni Civil War

The first significant milestone in the secret relationship came in the early 1960s when civil war broke out in Yemen. Rebels had just overthrown the government, and the country was in chaos. Most of the countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, were not fans of the rebels. Saudi Arabia quietly opened its airspace to the Israeli planes that dropped aid to the Yemeni government fighters. This was the first time that Saudi and Israeli interests aligned and it wouldn't be the last.

Khartoum Resolution, the "3 No's"

In 1967, the entire Arab League formally adopted the Khartoum Resolution, also known as the "3 No's": no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and no negotiations with Israel. Behind the scenes, however, Israel was working overtime to build bridges with the Saudis. They passed on information about local attempts to overthrow the Saudi government and warned the Saudis about a plot to assassinate the Jordanian king.

Saudi pragmatism

The Saudis, known for their pragmatism, eventually realized that Israel was here to stay. In 1977, the Saudi king admitted that no one was trying to wipe Israel off the map anymore. The Israeli foreign ministry, however, remained silent, waiting for the Saudis to make the first move.

Failed Saudi proposal for peace

In 1981, the Saudi prince sent Israel a concrete proposal: if Israel withdrew from all the territories it acquired during the Six-Day War and handed over Jerusalem to be the capital of a Palestinian state, the region would be at peace. However, the Israeli prime minister rejected the offer immediately, citing concerns about Israel's security and the importance of Jerusalem.

The Gulf War anti-Sadam coalition

A decade later, the Saudis and the Israelis found themselves on the same side again, both being targeted by Saddam Hussein, who had invaded Kuwait. Saudi Arabia joined a coalition of more than 30 countries to pressure him to leave, and when Saddam shot at Israel, the Jewish state didn't retaliate, preventing the Arab states in the coalition from having to choose sides.

The Madrid Peace Conference

Later that year, the Saudis and the Israelis sat in the same room for the first time at the Madrid Peace Conference, a joint effort by the US and USSR to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. Though no peace came out of the conference, the relationship between Saudi and Israel was warming, and behind closed doors, they kept talking about joint projects that would bring in money if they could just nail down a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

2nd failed Saudi proposal for peace

In 2002, the Saudis repeated their offer from 1981: withdraw from all the territories won in 1967, give up Jerusalem, and the Arab world would make peace. Again, the Israeli government rejected the offer, citing concerns about security and the ongoing Second Intifada.

Anti-Iran coalition

It took another war to bring the Jewish state back to the negotiating table. When the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in 2006, Israel responded with a massive show of force. The war revealed that Hezbollah was stronger and more powerful than anyone had realized, putting both Saudi Arabia and Israel in the same precarious boat, directly threatened by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This shared threat finally brought the two countries together to discuss how to stop the Iranian regime.

The 2020 Abraham Accords

In 2020, the United States brokered a historic agreement between Israel and multiple Arab countries, two of which border Saudi Arabia: the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Though the Saudis weren't part of the deal, there were hints that they too might normalize relations with Israel, allowing the accords to go through and hinting that a normalization deal would come once Israel worked out its problems with the Palestinians.

Movement toward Saudi-Israeli normalization

In 2023, the Saudis openly stated that they were willing to normalize ties with Israel, indicating that the two countries were getting closer to making their relationship official. The only question was what it would take to seal the deal.

Motive behind October 7

Many analysts have suggested that Hamas's devastating attack on Israel in October 2023 was engineered to tank a potential deal between Israel and the Saudis, as the Arab world harshly criticized Israel's response to the terrorist group.

Gaza War condemnations

The war between Israel and Hamas has cost tens of thousands of lives, and the entire Arab world has harshly criticized Israel's response, with some countries condemning the "indiscriminate bombing of Palestinian innocent civilians in Gaza."

Defending Israel against Iran's attack

However, when Iran attacked Israel in April 2024, multiple Arab countries, including some with no public ties to the Jewish state, came to Israel's defense, passing on intelligence, allowing Israel to use their airspace, or even actively helping to track and intercept the Iranian missiles. This suggests that the Saudi-Israeli relationship may have deeper roots than previously known.

Is a Saudi-Israeli alliance on the horizon?

The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel has been an open secret for years, with both countries recognizing the mutual benefits of an alliance. As the Iranian regime continues to threaten regional stability, the incentive for the two countries to make their partnership official has never been greater. The only question is when they will finally take the plunge and go public with their long-standing cooperation.

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Saudi Arabia can't rely on the United States to guarantee its security: That, put simply, is the message that the Saudis issued with their decision to renew diplomatic ties with Tehran.

The Biden administration's declining attentiveness to the Middle East, its Iran policy, and the arrogance Washington has displayed toward its allies in the region have all pushed Riyadh to formulate an alternative insurance policy in the form of entering under Beijing's umbrella, while at the same time also tightening relations with Moscow.  This development symbolizes yet another stage in the weakening standing of the US in the region and the strengthening of the counter-axis led by China with partial Russian support.

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Even the most ardent supporters of a "diplomatic approach" in the White House will struggle to deny the extent of its failure thus far when it comes to Iran and the high price that the United States is paying as a result. Under Biden's watch, the ayatollahs have grown to feel immune. Iran is racing forward with its military nuclear efforts, continuing with subversive actions, and maintaining an aggressive policy through terrorist and militia proxies operated by the IRGC.

Poking a figurative middle finger in the eyes of the Americans, Tehran is supplying suicide drones to Russia to help with its war against Ukraine and is tightening military cooperation with Moscow. Iran is also preparing to send its tentacles to other arenas such as Latin America and northwest Africa where it hopes to stoke the conflict between Algeria and Morocco.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has contemptuously rejected the outstretched arm of Washington and its partners who have tried to revive the "nuclear accords." Iran's self-confidence has been boosted and it has taken full advantage of the naivete of the West and its lack of enthusiasm to grab the Persian bull by its horns.

The indifference displayed by the White House in the face of these developments and the way it has treated Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners as if they were in its pocket, shortened the path between Beijing and Riyadh. Washington's pallid response to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's cries for help on the eve of the Russian invasion of his country didn't help either. It was against this backdrop and with the encouragement of China – which spotted an opportunity to fill the vacuum left by the downsizing of the American footprint in the area– that a path was paved for Saudi Arabia to renew ties with Iran.

"The end of American hegemony in the region," was how Khamenei's military advisor termed the renewal of ties between Riyadh and Tehran. The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV channel crowned with great satisfaction the US and Israel as the big losers from the move, and China as the big winner which will now be able to penetrate the Arab and Muslim world through the gates of both Iran and Saudi Arabia.

These forecasts should not be dismissed, but neither should they be seen as prophecies. The roots of hostility between Saudi Arabia and Iran are rooted in religion and ethnicity and these factors will not disappear as a result of one agreement or the other. Moreover, the US and the West can still influence the picture – especially in view of the legitimization that Iran continues to provide for them to intervene through its provocative behavior on the nuclear front and its involvement in the war in Ukraine.

From Israel's perspective, the Iranian threat remains as it was and therefore there is no room for it to change its approach and demands. Israel did the right thing by repeating over and again that its commitment to defend itself against a nuclear Iran is not dependent on external factors.

Given the statement by the Chinese last month regarding their support for a resumption of negotiations on the nuclear accords, the possibility that a resumption of talks could return to the international agenda either publicly or behind the scenes should be taken into account. Israel for its part should continue to push the US to declare the "death" of the Iran deal and put a credible military option on the table.

With regard to possible normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, it would seem that the chances have declined in the wake of the Tehran-Riyadh rapprochement, but Israel should not cease its efforts on this front. It may well be possible that the Saudis will see progress on normalization as a means of spreading its risk and as a balancing act vis-a-vis the United States and Israel; secondly, ties that have been built up would be maintained for any opportunity that may spring up further down the road.

Alongside all this, Israel should discuss with the US a series of immediate measures to be taken as a conclusion from events, among them the urgent need for the White House to invest resources in maintaining the Abraham Accords and to ensure the American and Israeli status in the region. For example, providing support for Egypt, completing the peace deal with Sudan, recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in the western Sahara, and bringing more countries into the normalization circle.

The lesson from developments is crystal clear: There is no such thing as a diplomatic vacuum; when the US is not actively present, it gives up its place to other forces!

Meir Ben Shabbat served as Israel's national security advisor and head of the National Security Council between 2017 and 2021. He is head of the Institute for Zionist Strategy & National Security, in Jerusalem.

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When Israel struck an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to open diplomatic ties in 2020, it brought an electrifying sense of achievement to a country long ostracized in the Middle East. Officials insisted that Israel's new ties with the UAE, and soon after with Bahrain, would go beyond governments and become society-wide pacts, stoking mass tourism and friendly exchanges between people long at odds.

But over two years since the breakthrough accords, the expected flood of Gulf Arab tourists to Israel has been little more than a trickle. Although more than half a million Israelis have flocked to oil-rich Abu Dhabi and skyscraper-studded Dubai, just 1,600 Emirati citizens have visited Israel since it lifted coronavirus travel restrictions last year, the Israeli Tourism Ministry told The Associated Press.

The ministry does not know how many Bahrainis have visited Israel because, it said, "the numbers are too small."

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"It's still a very weird and sensitive situation," said Morsi Hija, head of the forum for Arabic-speaking tour guides in Israel. "The Emiratis feel like they've done something wrong in coming here."

The lack of Emirati and Bahraini tourists reflects Israel's long-standing image problem in the Arab world and reveals the limits of the Abraham Accords, experts say. Even as bilateral trade between Israel and the UAE has exploded from $11.2 million in 2019 to $1.2 billion last year, the popularity of the agreements in the UAE and Bahrain has plummeted since the deals were signed, according to a survey by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an American think tank.

In the UAE, support fell to 25% from 47% in the last two years. In Bahrain, just 20% of the population supports the deal, down from 45% in 2020. In that time, Israel and Gaza militants fought a devastating war and violence in the occupied West Bank surged to its highest levels in years.

Israeli officials say Gulf Arab tourism to Israel is a missing piece that would move the agreements beyond security and diplomatic ties. Tourist visits from Egypt and Jordan, the first two countries to reach peace with Israel, also are virtually nonexistent. "We need to encourage (Emiratis) to come for the first time. It's an important mission," Amir Hayek, Israeli ambassador to the UAE, told the AP. "We need to promote tourism so people will know each other and understand each other."

Israeli tourism officials flew to the UAE last month in a marketing push to spread the word that Israel is a safe and attractive destination. The ministry said it's now pitching Tel Aviv – Israel's commercial and entertainment hub – as a big draw for Emiratis. Tour agents say that so far, betting on Jerusalem has backfired. The turmoil of the contested city has turned off Emiratis and Bahrainis, some of whom have faced backlash from Palestinians who see normalization as a betrayal of their cause. The Palestinian struggle for independence from Israel enjoys broad support across the Arab world.

"There's still a lot of hesitation coming from the Arab world," said Dan Feferman, director of Sharaka, a group that promotes people-to-people exchanges between Israel and the Arab world. "They expect (Israel) to be a conflict zone, they expect to be discriminated against." After leading two trips of Bahrainis and Emiratis to Israel, Sharaka struggled to find more Gulf Arab citizens interested in visiting, he said.

When a group of Emirati and Bahraini social media influencers in 2020 visited the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, the third-holiest site in Islam, they were spat on and pelted with shoes in Jerusalem's Old City, said Hija, their tour guide.

When another group of Emirati officials visited the flashpoint site accompanied by Israeli police, they drew the ire of the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who issued a religious edict against Emiratis visiting the mosque under Israeli supervision.

Most Emiratis and Bahrainis who have visited Israel say they forgo their national dress and headscarves in order not to attract attention.

The Islamic Waqf, which administers the mosque, declined to answer questions about the number of Emirati and Bahraini visitors and their treatment at the compound.

Palestinian rage against Emiratis is not confined to the sacred esplanade. Emirati citizens visiting and studying in Israel say they face frequent death threats and online attacks.

"Not everyone can handle the pressure," said Sumaiiah Almehiri, a 31-year-old Emirati from Dubai studying to be a nurse at the University of Haifa. "I didn't give into the threats, but fear is preventing a lot of Emiratis from going."

The fear of anti-Arab racism in Israel can also drive Gulf Arabs away. Israeli police mistakenly arrested two Emirati tourists in Tel Aviv last summer while hunting for a criminal who carried out a drive-by shooting. Some Emiratis have complained on social media about drawing unwanted scrutiny from security officials at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport.

"If you bring them here and don't treat them in a sensitive way, they'll never come back and tell all their friends to stay away," Hija said.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned for a sixth term as prime minister last week, has pledged to strengthen agreements with Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE and Sudan. Formal ties with Sudan remain elusive in the wake of a military coup and in the absence of a parliament to ratify its US-brokered normalization deal with Israel.

As a chief architect of the accords, Netanyahu also hopes to expand the circle of countries and reach a similar deal with Saudi Arabia.

Yet experts fear his new government – the most ultranationalist and religiously conservative in Israel's history – could further deter Gulf Arab tourists and even jeopardize the agreements. His government has vowed to expand West Bank settlements and pledged to annex the entire territory, a step that was put on hold as a condition of the initial agreement with the UAE.

"We have a reason to be worried about any deterioration in relations," said Moran Zaga, an expert in Gulf Arab states at the University of Haifa in Israel.

So far, Gulf Arab governments have offered no reason for concern.

The Emirati ambassador was photographed warmly embracing Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of the coalition's most radical members, at a national day celebration last month. And over the weekend, the UAE's leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, called Netanyahu to congratulate him and invite him to visit.

It's a different story among those who are not in the officialdom.

"I hope that Netanyahu and those with him will not set foot on the land of the Emirates," Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political scientist, wrote on Twitter. "I think it is appropriate to freeze the Abraham Accords temporarily."

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A new initiative that will launch in January will bring together women from Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain and Israel as part of a mentorship program to empower the women in countries that are signatories to the Abraham Accords.

The accords were a set of normalization agreements between Israel and the three Arab states. They are considered a historic breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli peace process and were brokered by the Trump administration in 2020.

"The UAE-Israel Business Council, the leading group that builds ties promoting trade, innovation, and cooperation, is joining with FemForward, Israel's unique three-month junior-to-manager program designed to support women in advancing their careers in the tech sector," a statement published by the two collaborating organizations read. "The program has been made possible through a grant from the US Embassy in Israel," the statement continued.

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The three-month program aims to remove the various obstacles to the advancement of women when progressing from junior to managerial positions. The program starts with a two-day seminar in Israel, followed by weekly online lectures and a mentorship program, ending with a two-day seminar in Dubai.

"The course includes comprehensive lectures led by leading female executives including Adi Soffer Teeni, general manager of Meta Israel, and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, as well as from companies such as Google, McKinsey and more. The program is open to women from all tech sectors and will provide the tools, networking, and mentorship to help them progress in their careers," the statement continued.

"The Abraham Accords was the beginning of something really important. It's the essence of bringing people together," US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said.

"As the technology industry in the Abraham Accords countries continues to grow, so do the opportunities for women to expand their careers and become managers and leaders," Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, co-founder of the Gulf-Israel Women's Forum, a division of the UAE-Israel Business Council, added. "By providing them with the tools they need, we are helping to increase the numbers of female leaders in the region."

"We created FemForward with the vision of making a lasting impact on women's careers and the results so far have been outstanding. We are tremendously excited to bring this successful program to our fellow Abraham Accords countries," FemForward Founder and CEO Rachel Wagner Rosenzweig concluded.

Since the initiative began, there have been more than 100 graduates, over half of whom have been promoted, with many advancing to management positions.

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The Israeli international news channel i24NEWS on Wednesday a new partnership with Bahrain's National Communications Centre, a year after Israel and Bahrain normalized relations and just as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett completed his historic visit to the kingdom.

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"The National Communications Centre (NCC) CEO, His Excellency Mr. Yousif Mohammed Al-Binkhalil, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the CEO of i24NEWS Mr. Frank Melloul," i24NEWS said in a statement. "Al-Binkhalil affirmed that the MoU comes as part of the NCC's priorities to enhance ties with various media organizations in support of National Communications Strategies."

According to the statement, "the NCC CEO commended the expertise of i24NEWS in the field" and "explained that the MoU will enhance the cooperation between the NCC and i24NEWS in the exchange of news and media content, as well as broadcast technology."

Frank Melloul said that the deal was yet another step in the "historic cooperation" between the nations and "constitutes another stage in the network's growth as a channel determined to cover events in the region with utmost professionalism."

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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed to Bahrain on Monday in what was to be the first visit of its kind by an Israeli leader to the Gulf kingdom.

Bennett will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister.

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Speaking to reporters before take-off, Bennett said he hoped the visit would be a "message of goodwill ... and a shared stance against common threats".

The crown prince and Bennett met in the Glasgow COP26 climate conference in November, during which the former invited the Israeli leader to make a historic visit, a year after the two nations announced they would establish official ties.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Bennett and his counterpart will talk about ways to build on the normalization deal and on "the importance of peace, development and prosperity in the region, particularly in advancing economic and diplomatic matters, with a focus on technology and innovation."

Bennett is expected to meet with the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, and other key government officials, as well as with leaders of the Jewish community.

The two countries had reportedly long enjoyed clandestine security ties over a shared distrust of regional rival Iran, but only in 2020 did they make their relationship public after then-President Donald Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization deals between Israel and four Arab countries: Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Sudan.

In September, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited the kingdom and signed various bilateral deals. Defense Minister Benny Gantz has also visited the country recently.

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Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited the United States Navy's Fifth Fleet on Thursday morning after arriving in Bahrain on a surprising visit the day before. He was accompanied by commander of the Fifth Fleet Vice Admiral Charles (Brad) Cooper II, and the commander of the Israeli Navy Vice Admiral David Saar Salama.

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"In the past year, partially due to the Abraham Accords and Israel move to CENTCOM, cooperation between the IDF and the Fifth Fleet has grown, as have the defense systems," Gantz said, calling the event "a significant milestone."

"It is strategic security need of utmost importance in the face of growing challenges in the maritime area in particular, and the region in general. Israel will continue to strengthen ties with the US and other countries in the region. We are also ready to assist and collaborate operationally in order to ensure stability and here too, our friendship can exists and thrive safely, and we too will be better protected from various challenges."

Gantz arrived in Bahrain to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Gulf nation on security matters, and is expected to meet with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and other Bahraini leaders.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett paid a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first official visit to the country by an Israeli leader since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 2020.

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Defense Minister Benny Gantz began a surprise visit on Wednesday to Bahrain, his spokesperson said, ahead of the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Gulf nation on security matters, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020. This is the first visit by a defense minister to a Gulf nation that signed peace with Israel.

The MOU that was to be signed on Wednesday is the first such between Israel and a Gulf state. He is expected meet with the Bahraini monarch during the visit.

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Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett paid a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first official visit to the country by an Israeli leader since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 2020.

Israel, Bahrain and the UAE had long nurtured cooperation before they formalized diplomatic relations as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The agreements established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states: the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

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The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC) is launching a fundraising campaign to restore the more than 100-year-old Jewish cemetery in Bahrain, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.

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The burial ground in the capital, Manama, holds special significance as the only operating Jewish cemetery in the Arab Gulf region. The cemetery was established by the Jewish community in the 1930s, along with the Manama synagogue, which remains the only functioning synagogue in the GCC.

The synagogue was recently renovated, and prayer services were held publicly for the first time in decades.

The campaign will kick off this Sunday evening with a tree-planting ceremony as part of festivities to mark the start of the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, known as the New Year of the Trees.

"[W]e are planting trees in the Jewish cemetery of Bahrain which is akin to bringing life back to those that have lived in the beautiful community in Bahrain for centuries and made their resting place in Bahrain for eternity," Rabbi Eli Abadie, head rabbi of the AGJC, said of the project.

AGJC is the umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo, whose family was one of the original Jewish families to settle in Bahrain, serves as president of AGJC. The community dates to the late 1800s when a group of Iraqi Jews immigrated to the Gulf state.

Israel normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain in September of 2020.

i24NEWS contributed to this report

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