Bahrain's heir and prime minister, Salman bin Hamad bin Issa al - Khalifa, announced today (Tuesday) to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that he intends to visit Israel.
The regent's remarks were made during a historic meeting held today by the two at a climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, during which Bennett invited Al Khalifa to visit Israel - who, as mentioned, replied that he would be happy to do so.
A political source said the visit is expected to take place in early 2022.
Prime Minister Bennett with Bahrain's heir, Salman bin Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, today, Photo: Haim Tzach / GPO
Bennett also told his counterpart Narendra Modi today that he intends to visit the country in about two months.
According to the political source, the round of meetings of the Israeli prime minister was very successful: "In the last two days we have experienced a political tsunami, in a good way. This is a great time for Israel's foreign relations. The meetings were like speed dating, instead of a travel chain."
The same source also said that the speech at the conference of Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Eshtiya, in which he attacked Israel, claiming that it harmed the environment by uprooting millions of trees since 1967, including about 800,000 olive trees, "is not worthy of reference."
Bennett to world leaders: "Increased pressure on Iran"
Meanwhile, as part of a series of meetings Bennett has held since his arrival at the conference, the prime minister is urging world leaders to step up pressure on Iran by extensively presenting them with the latest developments in Iran's nuclear program.
He told Johnson, Moody and French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as other leaders he spoke with, that Iran's announcement last week that it would return to nuclear talks was intended to drag time.
As reported in "Israel Today", the Israeli assessment is that even in the negotiations themselves, Iran will try to drag the discourse in order to use the time to its advantage.
"The Iranians are procrastinating, they are not going to Vienna," a diplomat said.
Bennett has vehemently opposed the powers' intention to sign a renewed nuclear deal with Iran.
According to a political source who attended the meetings, the prime minister told the leaders that "a return to the agreement would be a fundamental mistake." Bennett also warned that the lifting of sanctions on Iran would resume the flow of funds into the country, which would only increase its regional aggression.
For these reasons, the political source explained, "if the goal of the powers is to contain Iran, then a nuclear agreement will lead to the opposite result."
Bennett urged leaders to present a determined and tough line with Iran, and in particular to impose further sanctions on it.
The impression on the Israeli side is that the world powers have no answers on how to deal with Iran.
Against this background, the political source says, in the near future there will be additional expressions of "the intensification of the power building," according to the political party, in light of the danger posed by Iran.
