Moving Message From Bahrain to Israel
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A surprising letter arrived from Bahrain on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the office of Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. It stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain mourns the millions of victims killed in the Holocaust and grants no room for antisemitism, racism and extremism.
The letter is surprising because Holocaust denial has been common in the Arab world.
Your Excellency,
International Holocaust Remembrance Day stands as a solemn memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, and an enduring reminder of the need to uphold our universal commitment to rejecting all forms of anti-Semitism and hatred, so that our world may never again witness such an atrocity.
As a country long accustomed to multiculturalism and interfaith dialogue, and with our own thriving Jewish community the Kingdom of Bahrain mourns the millions of individual lives taken by this abhorrent crime against humanity, and stands in solidarity with the survivors and their families.
Today, following the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for peace, and in cooperation with our partners in the Middle East, we continue to sow the seeds of coexistence, demonstrating to the region and the world that three is no place for ignorance and extremism, only peace and understanding…
Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Kingdom of Bahrain
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ashkenazi spoke with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and congratulated him on taking office under the Biden Administration. The two discussed regional strategic issues, the continued expansion of the circle of peace, the Iranian threat and other issues.
Ashkenazi called the United States Israel’s greatest friend and its strategic partner in the regional peace process, as well as in matters of regional security and stability:
“The peace agreements led by the US created a broad peace coalition in the Middle East, and we all must continue to act to widen the circle and remove any threat that can undermine the stability and security of the region.”
The two agreed to continue talking and arranged to meet as soon as possible given the COVID-19 limitations.
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