Bennett had meetings in Bahrain with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, several Bahraini ministers, and members of Bahrain's Jewish community. He gave a shofar to the Jewish community and expressed a desire for people-to-people peace. Prince Salman described the meeting as "cousins getting together." The Israeli government also announced joint business projects with Bahrain in climate-related technology, manufacturing, and e-commerce. This visit marked the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to Bahrain, highlighting the strengthening ties between Israel and various Arab governments in recent years. Israel has established formal diplomatic relations with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, improved relations with Morocco, and Sudan since 2020. For years, the majority of Arab nations refused to establish normal relations with Israel until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was resolved. However, priorities in the region have shifted, as seen by Bennett's warm welcome in Bahrain, where containing Iran has become a top concern. Bahrain will now host an Israeli military officer as part of a regional alliance to safeguard navigation and trade in the Persian Gulf amidst increasing threats from Iran and its proxies. Bahrain's invitation to Bennett suggested a growing acceptance of Israel's role in the region by Saudi Arabia, a major Iranian rival and the most influential state in the Arab world. Despite official denials from Saudi officials about plans to normalize ties with Israel, their support is crucial for Bahrain, which has historically relied on Saudi agreement for major decisions. Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla described Bahrain as viewing Saudi Arabia as a supportive big brother in times of need. Abdulla stated that there is more cooperation among Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States than many people realize. Prominent Saudis have also expressed views on Israel and the Palestinians that were previously unheard of. In 2018, Prince Mohammed made headlines by affirming the right of Israelis to their own land. Two years later, another Saudi prince, Bandar bin Sultan, criticized the Palestinian leadership for neglecting the needs of ordinary Palestinians. Currently, Saudi movie theaters are screening "Death on the Nile," featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who faced backlash in the Arab world for her support of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Relations are also improving between Israel and the two Arab nations it had previously made peace with, Egypt and Jordan. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi received attention in Israel for publicly greeting an Israeli government minister in front of other Arab dignitaries. However, while government ties are getting stronger, public sentiment in the Arab world is not keeping pace. Polls show that a majority of Arabs do not approve of the recent warming of relations with Israel. In Bahrain, where dissent is tightly controlled, there were small protests against the government and Israel, as seen in photos and videos on social media. International human rights organizations claim that Bahrain lacks a free press and that its judiciary is controlled by the ruling Khalifa family. The Khalifa family, a Sunni Muslim dynasty in power since 1783, governs a predominantly Shia population that alleges they face widespread sectarian discrimination. Activists in exile from Bahrain criticized Bennett's visit coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the 2011 uprising, denouncing it as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and as support for Israel's policies. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, described the visit as a disrespectful gesture towards Bahrain's history of standing up against authoritarian rule and condemned the invitation of the leader of a country they view as practicing apartheid.