Both Israel and Bahrain are small nations in the Middle East that pursue peace and coexistence between Jews and Muslims, President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday, relating a recent conversation he had with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Hamad is a “bold and courageous leader,” who believes that the Abraham Accords are a “cornerstone in the future of the Middle East,” Herzog told an audience at an event for the Claims Conference in Jerusalem.
The two men spoke by phone for about an hour before the event regarding “regional issues, as well as our pursuit of peace, and standing up to terror and hate of all forms in our region and elsewhere. Bahrain has a very important voice on so many important issues,” the Israeli president said.
Herzog wished Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a successful trip to the United States and in his meeting with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu was scheduled to depart for Washington on Monday morning and meet with Trump on Tuesday.
In 2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, Bahrain, along with the United Arab Emirates, joined the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements between Israel and Arab states.
Trump has since sought ways to expand the circle of participants.
On July 23, the U.S. president conditioned a civilian nuclear power deal with Saudi Arabia on the kingdom joining the accords.
The deal “is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Trump said in a July 23 post on Truth Social.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokeswoman, reiterated in a White House press briefing that “if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off.”
In 2025, Trump announced that Kazakhstan agreed to join the Accords.
“This is a major step forward in building bridges across the world. Today, more nations are lining up to embrace peace and prosperity through my Abraham Accords,” Trump said.
“We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of strength. So much more to come in uniting countries for stability and growth. Real progress, real results.”
Morocco is also a member of the Abraham Accords, having joined in December 2020.
Sudan signed the Accords in 2021, but has not yet ratified the normalization agreement due to internal instability.
