The Jews came to Bahrain because of the pearls, and stayed because of the good relations with the dynasty • Today the community in the kingdom numbers only a few dozen, who are excited about the agreement
The peace agreement with Bahrain is an opportunity to take a look at one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Arab world, which has lived in harmony with the locals since the 12th century.
In the Kingdom of Bahrain there is a synagogue and it is also rarely active, usually during the holidays.
Bahrain is home to a fairly small Jewish community - the only indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf - which includes a total of about 37 Jews living in the capital, al-Manama.
In practice, the chapel established in 1930 usually functions as such only when Jews from outside visit the place.
About two decades ago, the building was renovated.
The Jewish community in Bahrain is considered close to the Sunni monarchy and King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.
Photo: Rabbi Keynon, The Jerusalem Post
In June 2019, the synagogue was opened by American Jews and government officials, including the US envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt. At the end of the prayer, those present, including Gribblat, began to dance spontaneously and sing "Am Yisrael Chai."
A statement from Avraham David (Daoud) Nono, head of the community and the first Jewish representative on the Shura Council in 2001, said: "The Jewish community in Bahrain is the only indigenous community in the Gulf. We have a synagogue and a cemetery. This is a historic moment we never expected to see. "We thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, who saw the future in this decision as well as his belief in coexistence alongside the belief and ability to break down the barriers that limit coexistence. We look forward to a prosperous relationship between the two countries."
The fact of the existence of a Jewish settlement in the Persian Gulf Islands is further hinted at in the Talmud, and an inscription in the National Museum there indicates a letter sent by Muhammad al-Shalit to Bahrain in the seventh century AD in 629, in order to subdue the spirit of Jewish residents who refused to accept the yoke of Islam.
According to the Jewish explorer Benjamin of Tudela (in the 12th century), the Jews controlled the pearl industry, the main source of income on the islands.
At the end of the 19th century, the settlement grew following the emigration of Jews who were looking for trade opportunities - first Jewish immigrants came from Iraq, and then more from Persia and India were added.
In the early 1960s, there were between 200 and 300 Jews in the Middle Eastern island nation.
After the Six Day War, many of them chose to leave the country and in the early 1970s there were a total of about a hundred Jews.
An expression of the king's warm relationship with the Jewish community - as well as of his connection with American Jewry - is reflected in the King's gesture in 2008 regarding the Jewish world, with the appointment of Huda Nono, a member of the Jewish community (formerly a Member of Parliament) as Bahrain's ambassador to Washington. The Jew Nancy Kadouri is also a member of parliament in Bahrain.