Reports yesterday say that Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani will visit Israel on Wednesday. It will be his first visit to the country. During the visit, he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will be in Israel from Wednesday through Friday. Reports say Israeli and Bahrain officials are working to finalize an aviation agreement for direct flights between Tel Aviv and Manama by Wednesday so it can be signed at the joint meeting. Israel seeks to start direct flights between the countries as soon as possible.

Israel’s Cabinet ratified on Sunday the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic, Peaceful and Friendly Relations with Bahrain, thus concluding the bilateral normalization process that began with the Sept. 15 ceremony at the White House. A ceremony announcing diplomatic relations between the two countries took place on Oct. 18 in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The Knesset had approved the agreement on Nov. 10.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting just before the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The establishment of peaceful relations and normalization with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan constitutes a vast achievement for the State of Israel. This is the product of a continuous effort that we have led over the years, an effort to expand the circle of peace, an effort to bring true peace, an effort to bring peace for peace. I would like to again thank our friends, President Trump and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and everyone who assisted — openly and covertly — in realizing these historic moves."

Last month, the government ratified a similar deal with the United Arab Emirates. Both deals, titled the Abraham Accords, were brokered by President Donald Trump’s administration. A third deal with Sudan was advanced as well.