Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, reiterated his country’s enduring support for the Palestinian cause during a meeting on Monday with outgoing Israeli Ambassador Eitan Naeh at Al-Qudaibiya Palace.
According to a report from the Bahrain News Agency, the crown prince highlighted the importance of maintaining diplomatic engagement as a means to advance peace, regional stability, and development. He reaffirmed Bahrain’s consistent position in backing efforts toward a just and lasting resolution that upholds the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Sheikh Salman also stressed the critical need for continued humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, commending international partners for their relief efforts. He called for de-escalation of the conflict, the protection of civilians, and the release of hostages and detainees.
Also present at the meeting were Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Finance and National Economy, and Hamad Al-Malki, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
Bahrain normalized relations with Israel in September 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
However, the country is currently without an ambassador in Israel, following a royal decree in April that reassigned former ambassador Khaled Yousef Al-Jalahma to a senior post at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Bahrain's envoy recalled shortly after October 7
Al-Jalahma, Bahrain’s first envoy to Israel, was appointed in March 2021 and formally took up his post in Tel Aviv that August. His appointment came in the wake of the Abraham Accords. After the October 7 attacks on Israel, Al-Jalahma did not return to Tel Aviv.
He was recalled shortly after the outbreak of the war, and Bahrain has made no official announcements regarding the status of his post or its diplomatic engagement with Israel.
While the embassy has not been formally closed, its ambassadorial leadership has been left vacant, casting uncertainty over the future of bilateral relations.