Bennett had a meeting later in the day with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, the ruler of Bahrain, as well as Vice Admiral Brad Cooper of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Bahraini ministers, and members of Bahrain’s Jewish community. During the meeting with the crown prince, Bennett expressed his desire to move towards a more personal and meaningful peace between their countries. The visit also included the announcement of a partnership between Israel and Bahrain in various business sectors. This visit marked the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to Bahrain and highlighted the strengthening relationships between Israel and several Arab nations in recent years. Israel has made significant diplomatic progress with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan since 2020. For many years, most Arab countries refused to establish normal relations with Israel until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was resolved. However, priorities have now shifted for some countries in the region. Bahrain, for example, is more focused on containing Iran and its armed proxies throughout the region, a goal that it shares with Israel. This change in priorities is evident in the warm welcome received by Bennett during his visit to Bahrain, where an Israeli military officer will be hosted for the first time as part of a regional alliance. The main objective of this alliance is to ensure freedom of navigation and international trade in the Persian Gulf, following numerous attacks by Iran and its proxies on ships in the area. Bahrain's invitation to Bennett suggested a growing acceptance of Israel by Saudi Arabia, a key player in the Arab world and a rival of Iran. Saudi officials officially deny plans to normalize relations with Israel, and also deny reports of a secret summit between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bennett's predecessor. However, Saudi support is important for Bahrain, as evidenced by past assistance from Saudi troops and financial aid. Analysts believe that Bahrain often acts with Saudi approval as a proxy. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political scientist and Gulf politics expert, emphasized the close relationship between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Abdulla mentioned that there is more cooperation between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States than many people realize. Prominent Saudis have also made surprising statements regarding Israel and the Palestinians in recent years. For example, in 2018, Prince Mohammed stated that Israelis have a right to their own land, a sentiment that would have been unheard of before. Additionally, Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan criticized Palestinian leadership for not adequately serving ordinary Palestinians. Furthermore, Saudi movie theaters are currently showing a film featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who has faced backlash in the Arab world for her support of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Relations are improving between Israel and the two Arab countries it had previously made peace with, Egypt and Jordan. Despite public displays of friendship between leaders, polls show that the general Arab public is not in favor of the increased diplomatic ties with Israel. In Bahrain, protests against the government and Israel were seen on social media. According to international rights watchdogs, Bahrain lacks a free news media and its judges are appointed by the royal family. The Khalifa family, a Sunni Muslim dynasty that has been in power since 1783, governs over a predominantly Shia population that claims to face systemic sectarian discrimination. Bahraini rights activists in exile criticized Bennett's visit, which coincided with the 11th anniversary of the 2011 uprising, as a betrayal of the Palestinian national movement and an endorsement of Israel's policies. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, described the visit as a disrespectful gesture, considering it falls on a significant date in Bahrain's history when its people stood up against authoritarian rule.