Commending Israel-Bahrain Security Cooperation Agreement

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the historic signing of the security cooperation agreement between Israel and Bahrain, which took place on February 3, 2022. This security agreement is the first of its kind between Israel and a Gulf nation.

Since Bahrain signed the 2020 Abraham Accords and took the important step of normalizing relations with Israel, the two countries have significantly deepened their bilateral relationship. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gautz travelled to Manama, Bahrain's capital, to sign this agreement and celebrates the agreement as ``a new high point'' in the countries' relationship.

The MoU agreement is designed to help advance intelligence cooperation, establish a framework for military exercises and strengthen ties between the countries' defense industries. As Israel and Bahrain continue to strengthen their cooperation, the signing of this memorandum of understanding (MoU) is a key step.

This historic agreement comes at a time of increased danger in the region as Iran continues to threaten the security of its neighbors. The MoU will help deepen regional security cooperation and resilience, which is critical to defending the interests of the United States, Israel, Bahrain, and many other countries in the region.

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