Bahrain parliament votes to penalize contacts with Israel
Move to fine or jail officials tied to Israel could complicate Gulf leaders' efforts to promote peace talks.
By Reuters Tags: Israel newsBahrain's parliament on Tuesday approved legislation penalizing contacts with Israel, a move which could complicate Gulf Arab leaders' efforts to promote peace talks with Israel.
"Whoever holds any communication or official talks with Israeli officials or travels to Israel will face a fine...and/or a jail sentence of three to five years," member of parliament Jalal Fairooz from the Shi'ite Al-Wefaq bloc, an opposition group that was the driving force behind the move.
"The motivation is that steps are being taken by certain countries to allow certain talks to be held with Israeli officials. Israeli delegates have managed to participate in events in Arab countries with no treaties with Israel."
Diplomats and analysts say Arab governments have been pressured by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama to make steps towards normalizing ties in order to help encourage Israel to enter peace talks with Palestinians.
But popular sentiment has been opposed to such moves. An Egyptian writer is facing disciplinary action by the journalists union for meeting the Israeli ambassador in Cairo.
Bahrain's Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa wrote in the Washington Post in July that Arabs had not done enough to communicate directly with Israelis.
Bahraini officials visited Israel in July in an official capacity for the first time to collect five of their nationals Israel was deporting after seizing them on a ship bound for the Palestinian territory of Gaza, blockaded by Israel.
Bahrain's parliament has limited powers and bills must pass through an upper house whose members are chosen by the king. Ultimate power lies with the ruling family.
Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania are the only Arab League states with formal ties with Israel.
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"They only take an anti-Israel stance when it suits them." - Ishai And right now a lot of the world, especially nations which have gone to a bit of self-abasement to further the chances for peace in the last 10 months have been given sound reasons to act in an anti-Israeli way. Israel - or at least it's current elected government, which is for all purposes the same - has decided to blow off all nations which have tried to make it possible for a peace agreement to be forged between Israel, Palestine and the Arab world. Those nations whom have humiliated themselves by trying to help in many cases must distance themselves from that rejection.
"An Egyptian writer is facing disciplinary action by the journalists union for meeting the Israeli ambassador in Cairo." This is an Egyptian way to have a halal pork-leg. Egypt has diplomatic relations with Israel, but the Egyptian journalists' union penalizes someone who goes and actually talks to its ambassador. What are journalists supposed to do in Egypy? Avoid interviewing an official ambassador from a country whose opinion is crucial? So much for that particularly mercurial term articulated since the Arab League summit in Beirut, 2002, called "normalization".
Hey Stella, the problem is that the Arabs won't accept Israel. Go to Memri..who gave back Sinai for peace...vacated Gaza...who accpets a 2 state solution...most Arabs won't accpet the Jewish state..The arabs will give Israel the same "reace" as the Nazis did...Where did you get so ignorant
Major western democracies such as Canada (my country), US, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Australia, Japan, etc. will NEVER turn against Israel because they share the same democratic human values. With respect to the third world non-democracies and Arab and Moslem dictatorships, you are quite right, But who cares about them?
Most of Arabs still have with their mentality in the XVII Century. They envy Israel. I managed to be in Israel and Qatar at the same trip. What a difference!! Israelis are smart and nice. Baranis are kind of backwarded and oppresive. I love Israel and I am not Jew.
You say Israel needs to invest in peace ey? So what do you say about Hamas, hezballah and the other terror goups who say they want to destroy Israel and continually attack Israel on a daily basis...Nothing? Wow! You're either blind or a moron and Israel as well as the US doesn't really care for the opinions of blind morons...see?
The country relies heavily on water desalination plants, a technology that was developed by the Israelis. I worked there as a SA citizen but my passport said I was born in Israel, and not once did I get stopped or questioned at the airport. They only take an anti-Israel stance when it suits them. While I'm grateful for the work opportunity there, I saw for myself many things that disgusted me, which I won't get into now. It's a hypocricy of a kingdom.
are shunning Israel. If Israel doesn't get with the program (peace) it won't be long before Israel becomes completely isolated. The writing is on the wall.
Bahrain is a colonialist invention formed on foreign land. It is an occupied nation that has conquered the indigenous people to set up an off shore nation to serve oil interest. The nation of Bahrain needs to be disbanded for justice sake.
1. The return of the Sinai to Egypt was an illusion. 2. The $2 billion/annum that Egypt receives from Israel's West creator and backer" (the U.S.) is an illusion. 3, 4, 5, etc. What "wonders" would Israel get if it return every remaining post June 4, 1967 square meter? Would there be enforceable pan-Arab-Muslim recognition of what then would remain of Israel as a Jewish State with permanent peace? I wonder!
The peace agreement gave Egypt real territory back (the Sinai desert, which was an excellent protective barrier for Israel), for promises of peace. With the possible exception of Sadat, I doubt that there are many Arabs who intended to honor that agreement. For Arabs to do wonders, they first need to realize that their concept of honor is murder and destruction. If they ever evolve beyond that (which I doubt will happen for another few centuries), then the whole humanity can do wonders.
Lets see...in the past month Israel has managed to upset Turkey, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran. Whos next. Whats this leading to?
Sadat peace move opened an era of where Arabs slided into repeated major concesions without receprocity from Israel nor its Western creators and backers. Israel got rael things and Arab got illusions. It is time that Arabs come to reality. To get honourable and permanent peace, one must fight and get strong bargaining chips. Arabs can do wonders, they have rights and resources.