Trump’s Middle East envoy to join flight from Manama to Tel Aviv

A Middle East envoy of US President Donald Trump will lead a delegation to Bahrain and Israel this week to discuss expanded economic co-operation between the two countries.

Avi Berkowitz, part of a team led by Mr Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner to help negotiate the Bahrain-Israel accord, will join Bahraini officials on the first direct commercial flight from the kingdom to Israel, a White House official said on Monday.

It will depart from Manama and arrive in Tel Aviv, where the US and Bahraini delegations will hold meetings with senior Israeli officials.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani will be on the flight and will become the first senior Bahraini official to visit Israel since the countries agreed to normalise relations.

Manama’s state news agency BNA said the visit would “affirm Bahrain’s permanent position in favour of supporting the peace process” and would focus on economic opportunities and bilateral accords.

The Trump administration has helped broker peace accords between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.

Last month, the UAE and Israel signed agreements on visa-free travel, civil aviation, investment protection, and science and technology during the first official Emirati visit to the country.

On Monday, Mr Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, told the Global Security Forum that he was hopeful a government led by US President-elect Joe Biden would pursue further agreements between Arab nations and Israel.