Published: 3 December 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
A RECENT PHONE CALL from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas came as a pleasant surprise to Palestinian officials in Ramallah, who say it is a sign of a thaw in their relations with the Gulf state.
The Bahraini monarch called Abbas to offer his condolences over the death of PLO secretary-general Saeb Erekat, who died last month after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
This was their first phone conversation since the announcement that Bahrain had established relations with Israel following that of the United Arab Emirates, the first Gulf state to normalise its relations with the Jewish state.
Abbas and many Palestinian officials and factions strongly condemned the rulers of Bahrain and the UAE for normalising relations with Israel, accusing the two Gulf states of betraying the Palestinians.
Recently, however, Abbas has sought to restore his relations with the two countries.
His decision to woo the Gulf states follows the collapse of efforts to reconcile his ruling Fatah faction with Hamas.
FULL STORY After dumping Hamas, Abbas seeks to restore ties with Gulf states (Jerusalem Post)
Tourism ministry warns Israelis: Don’t discuss Palestinians or democracy while visiting UAE (Haaretz)
Ministry circulates document regarding 'diplomatic sensitivity,' urging Israelis to avoid sensitive topics including U.S. diplomatic ties, Qatar or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
