Bahrain Appoints First Ambassador to Israel

In another regional diplomatic milestone, Bahraini monarch Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on Tuesday appointed his country’s first ambassador to Israel.

Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah will serve as the Gulf state’s envoy to the State of Israel, official Bahraini state media reports.

“His Majesty, may G-d preserve him, congratulated Ambassador Khaled Youssef Al Jalahma, and His Majesty expressed his lofty directives to the ambassador, wishing him success in promoting Bahrain’s noble message of peace and the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” official Bahraini media says.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry gave its acceptance of al-Jalahmah back in March, when notified of the pending appointment. Al-Jalahmah had previously served as deputy ambassador to the United States among other senior posts in the Bahraini diplomatic service.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Tuesday’s opening of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

In a statement, Blinken said the embassy opening and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to the UAE marking the occasion “are significant for Israel, the UAE, and the broader region.”