Bahraini Figure Slams Regime’s Attempt to Normalize Ties with Israel
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Bahraini opposition figure deplored a recent move by Manama to pay tribute to former Israeli president Shimon Peres, saying the Al Khalifa has been among the first regimes in the region trying to normalizes ties with Israel.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Deputy Secretary General of Bahrain’s Islamic Action Society Sheikh Abdullah Saleh pointed to Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifah’s message of condolences to Israel, saying that relationship between the Manama and Tel Aviv regimes has become an open secret.
The crimes committed by the Al Khalifa resemble those committed by the Zionists since both regimes target civilans, he stated.
Last week, dozens of the Bahraini people staged a rally in the northwestern village of Diraz, about 12 kilometers west of Manama, after Friday prayers to denounce the Bahraini foreign minister’s move.
They rejected any normalization of relations with the Tel Aviv regime and expressed solidarity with Palestine.
“Rest in Peace President Shimon Peres, a Man of War and a Man of the still elusive Peace in the Middle East,” Bahrain’s top diplomat had posted on his Twitter account on September 29.
Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.
Amnesty International and many other international rights organizations have frequently censured the Bahraini regime for the rampant human rights abuses against opposition groups and anti-regime protesters.