Bahrainis condemn normalisation deal with Israel

Bahraini citizens have taken to social media to voice strong opposition to the normalisation deal with Israel.

Palestinians have called the accord “treason”, and many in Bahrain seem to agree.

Public response to the deal in the United Arab Emirates has been broadly positive, with Emiratis praising their government’s decision to normalise relations with Israel.

More than a dozen agreements have already been announced between Emirati and Israeli universities, research institutes, and businesses planning collaborations.

The public response in Bahrain has been harsher, including heavy criticism directed at the government, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Bahrain is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa royal family, but the population is majority Shia Muslim.

The country has a relatively tolerant approach toward freedom of speech, allowing the strong opposition to openly voice its concerns.

Opposition activists launched a Twitter campaign titled “Bahrainis against normalisation”, which became the top trending tweet on Friday.

Prominent journalist Razi al-Musawi said that the deal was made to serve the interests of Israel and the US, not those of Bahrain and the Gulf states.

He believes the agreement effectively abandons the Palestinian issue.

“We oppose normalisation, and we believe that the deal was reached without consulting all relevant entities,” Musawi said.

Others, however, have expressed a positive attitude toward the deal.

Ahadia Ahmad, head of Bahrain’s journalists association, said, “This is an amazing step, and a positive step towards the peace process. We need practical solutions, not emotional ones. Through a peace agreement with another country, more opportunities are opened for more negotiations.”