Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahrain's normalization move with Israel was only an expression of its serious search for an ally to confront Iran in a region from which the United States is gradually withdrawing, but the ruling family will use normalization to go beyond what many imagine.

The statement of the Undersecretary of the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa at a seminar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (February 2022) was notable, as he announced the presence of the Mossad in Bahrain.

A fews months after this statement, we will all see how the government of Bahrain will intensify its efforts towards creating a Jewish presence in the capital, Manama, and we will hear about the purchase of real estate in and around Manama through real estate companies for the benefit of Jewish people. Owners of some real estates continued to be prevented from their disposal under various excuses for years.

It is clear today that the authorities are working towards creating a Jewish population in Manama, and because the main goal is to change Manama's identity and obliterate the Shiite presence, the next step would most likely be the naturalization of those Jewish people, who would be mostly Israelis or have Israeli citizenships alongside another nationality.

But what will it mean to naturalize Israelis in Bahrain?

More than ten years ago, with the eruption of protests in Bahrain, the country suffered from ongoing economic, political and security crises, which made many naturalized people prefer to seek their livelihood away from Bahrain. Dozens of naturalized persons moved to the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait to open businesses, taking advantage of the privileges granted to GCC nationals. The issue of Yemenis residing in Saudi Arabia who obtained Bahraini citizenships and returned to Saudi Arabia to compete with Saudi citizens in some small projects is no longer a secret to anyone, noting that the crisis turned into a political one and required the visit of the Saudi Minister of Interior to Bahrain at the time. 

These privileges will of course be granted to any Israeli seeking Bahraini citizenship, as this citizenship will enable them to move freely, own and establish business and other projects in most Arab countries without significant obstacles. More dangerously, some Israelis who may be naturalized will be employees of security services tasked with penetrating Gulf and Arab states.

What would prevent an Israeli holding a Bahraini citizenship from moving to live in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait and establish business projects that fund spy networks or security operations in this or that country? What would prevent an Israeli holding a Bahraini citizenship from going to Lebanon, a state facing Israel, own real estate or establish fake projects and operate a spy network for his benefit taking advantage of the red passport?

Bahrain, with its steps that have become far beyond the issue of normalization, puts the Arab countries in general in a very difficult position, which will have serious repercussions. Arab countries and their security services must be vigilant in dealing with these threats, as Bahrain's ruling family is blinded by its hatred of the Shiites, and is willing to do anything to turn them into a minority or, if possible, eliminate them, even if by enabling Israelis to infiltrate all Arab countries.

Arabic Version