On Sept. 11, the Kingdom of Bahrain agreed to finalize an agreement to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel. The agreement was formally finalized at the United States White House, where the official document was signed on Sept. 15 by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al Zayani and United States President Donald Trump. The document agreed to bring about “an era of friendship and cooperation.” The two representatives agreed “to promote lasting security, to eschew threats and use of force, as well as advance coexistence and a culture of peace.”

The move comes after the U.S. and Bahrain reached a free trade agreement in 2004, in which the Kingdom held “no objections to trade with American companies that have relationships with Israeli companies” even though it was part of the Arab League Boycott of Israel. With this agreement, the Kingdom ends its participation in the boycott.

On this decision, there were varied reactions. In a tweet, Donald Trump shared the joint statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Israel that termed the deal a “historic breakthrough.”

The Sultanate of Oman, in a statement reported in the state media, said that this “new strategic path” would hopefully bring about “peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital.”

Seventeen civil society groups in Bahrain, however, released a joint statement stating its rejection of “normalization with this criminal entity.” Other opposition voices like cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, currently in Iran, expressed an unfavorable position with regards to the Bahrain-Israel deal.

Bahrain’s foreign minister, however, highlighted the importance of finding a “just, comprehensive and enduring two-state solution” to the Palestinian-Israel conflict.

The Gazelle reached out to a source that advocates for the rights of Palestinians. Given the sensitivity of the topic, our source decided to remain anonymous.

When asked how the Bahrain-Israel agreement frames the question of Palestine, our source explained that the move was a paradox. “On one hand, there is a possibility that these countries [Bahrain and Israel] will be able to determine and steer outcomes of the Palestinian cause in favor of Palestinians, and this gives me immense hope,” they shared.

“[However], it is still not clear what the future of Palestinians will look like, especially those living in Palestine, and what this means for the Palestinian cause.”

Our source further added that the Bahrain-Israel agreement was one vested more in a “rational” acknowledgement of economic and political realities and does not “involve the Palestinian cause in its truest form.” They echoed the frustration of being “left out of the decision-making process … regarding [their] land and struggle.”

When asked about the response of Palestinians to the Bahrain-Israel agreement, our source explained the nature of such reactions: “When we speak of Palestinians, we have to keep in mind that there are Palestinians living in Palestine under the occupation and there is a Palestinian diaspora … Some Palestinians are constrained … in terms of how they can express their frustration. These Palestinians reacted silently or were more implicit in expressing their opinions.”

While specific details have not been disclosed to the public yet, the deal will probably include “embassies, commercial deals and the opening of travel links between the countries.” As the deal was being signed in the White House, Israeli warplanes carried out multiple “air strikes against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip.” According to the Israeli army, this was in response to rockets fired towards Israeli territory. The efficacy of the Bahrain-Israel agreement in bringing peace, along with its long term effects, is yet to be seen.