Israel President Herzog to visit Bahrain, amid 'Abraham Accords' anniversary

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday that he plans to visit Bahrain "soon", which normalised relations with Tel Aviv as part of the controversial so-called Abraham Accords in 2020.

"I intend to visit Bahrain in the coming months as the guest of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in order to continue exploring together new ways to enhance our nations’ cooperation, for the sake of the peace, prosperity, and success of our entire region," Herzog announced.

He spoke during a reception in Israel hosted by the UAE to celebrate two years since the normalisation agreement, which also saw Israel establish ties with Sudan, Bahrain, and Morocco to the anger of Palestinians and the Arab street.

Israel still occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem and imposes a devastating siege on Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Israeli army chief Aviv Kochavi visited the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain earlier this year.

The Israeli president also said that progress could be made with Sudan, a country which has only reluctantly joined the normalisation agreements that were pushed by former US President Donald Trump.

He noted that he held "positive conversations" with Sudanese leaders, indicating a "mutual desire" for improved ties between the countries.

Unlike other countries, Israel-Sudan normalisation has not yet been completed because of the unrest in the northeast African country, where there is widespread opposition to the deal.

A military grab power in October has worsened the already difficult political and economic situation in the impoverished nation.

Israel was notably quiet about the coup, and Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has lauded Khartoum's ties with Israel.