Bahrain officials make unprecedented Israel visit

Bahrain officials make unprecedented Israel visit

MANAMA (AFP) – An official Bahrain delegation travelled to Israel on an unprecedented trip to recover a group of nationals held by the Jewish state, the state news agency reported on Friday.

According to BNA, the Bahrainis were in a group of pro-Palestinian activists on a ship seized by the Israeli navy on Tuesday as it headed for the Gaza Strip in defiance of Israel's blockade of the territory.

Israel handed over the Bahraini citizens at the international airport near Tel Aviv, BNA said, without saying how many people were involved.

Bahrain -- a staunch US ally which also hosts the US Navy's Fifth fleet -- does not recognise Israel and reports of the trip were the first to be announced publicly.

Last October the foreign minister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa, triggered criticism at home for suggesting the creation of a regional organisation that would include Israel.

Bahrain's crown prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa met Israeli officials during World Economic Forum summits in 2000 and 2003, while Sheikh Khaled met former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni at the United Nations in 2007.

But political groupings in Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni dynasty and has a Shiite majority, resist any attempt at normalisation of ties with Israel.

Only two Arab countries -- Egypt and Jordan -- have full fledged peace treaties with Israel. Bahrain's Gulf neighbour Qatar, another close US ally, is one of a handful of Arab countries to maintain political contacts with Israel.

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