Herzog becomes first Israeli president to visit Bahrain

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bahrain on the first trip by an Israeli head of state to the small Persian Gulf kingdom, following the normalisation of relations in 2020.

Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, met with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

They discussed issues including regional security and "ways to encourage communication between the representatives of the private sector in the two countries", the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said.

The Jewish state had earlier reached peace treaties with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

"I call on more states in our region to join this partnership, strengthening the Middle East," Herzog said.

"The expanding circle of (Middle East) peace is highly important, especially amid threats to global and regional stability. In the face of hate, threats and terror, there is one answer: alliances with friends."

Other countries in the region, notably Saudi Arabia, have repeatedly said they would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not establishing official ties with Israel until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.

King Hamad said that Bahrain supports "achieving a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and that will lead to stability, development and prosperity for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, as well as all peoples of the region,".