Visitors to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation on Aug. 10 were surprised. Accompanied by a large escort of both security and staff of the center, the undersecretary for international relations at Bahrain's Foreign Ministry, Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, arrived there for a visit. The Center’s senior adviser for governmental and international affairs, Nadav Tamir, showed him the way, with Chemi Peres — the son of the late Shimon Peres and chair of the center — welcoming the undersecretary warmly.
Khalifa was more than willing to exchange words and to have his picture taken with others, first with a woman who happened to be visiting and then with a teenaged girl. Judging by his reactions, Khalifa was delighted to discover the venue and took great interest in the story about the place and its initiatives.