Bennett had a meeting later in the day with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, the ruler of Bahrain, along with Vice Admiral Brad Cooper and other officials. He also met with members of Bahrain's Jewish community and gave them a shofar. Bennett expressed his desire to move from government-to-government relations to people-to-people connections. Prince Salman agreed, calling the meeting a family gathering. The Israeli government and Bahrain announced a partnership to fund joint business ventures in various sectors. This visit marked the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to Bahrain and highlighted the strengthening ties between Israel and several Arab nations over the past year and a half, including formal relations with Bahrain, the UAE, improved relations with Morocco, and Sudan. The Arab world had long resisted normalizing relations with Israel due to the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, priorities have shifted for some countries in the region, such as Bahrain, as containing Iran and its armed proxies has become a greater concern. Bahrain is now focusing on this shared goal with Israel, rather than an immediate resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially with Iran accelerating its nuclear enrichment. As a part of a regional alliance, Bahrain will host an Israeli military officer for the first time to ensure freedom of navigation and international trade in the Persian Gulf, following attacks on ships by Iran and its proxies. Bahrain's invitation to Bennett suggested an increasing acceptance of Israel's involvement in the region by Saudi Arabia, a major player in the Arab world and a key rival of Iran. While Saudi officials officially deny any plans to normalize relations with Israel like Bahrain, they have also denied reports of a secret meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bennett's predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Saudi support is important for Bahrain, as the kingdom has provided military assistance and financial aid in the past. Analysts believe that Bahrain often acts in accordance with Saudi interests, viewing Saudi Arabia as a supportive ally in times of need. Abdulla mentioned that there is more cooperation between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States than many people realize. Key Saudi figures have also made surprising statements regarding Israel and the Palestinians recently. In 2018, Prince Mohammed garnered attention by stating that Israelis have the right to their own land. Two years later, Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan criticized the Palestinian leadership for not adequately supporting ordinary Palestinians. Currently, Saudi movie theaters are screening "Death on the Nile," which features 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 countries, Egypt and Jordan, with which it had previously established a fragile peace. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt made a significant gesture towards Israel by publicly greeting an Israeli government minister, Karine Elharrar, in front of other Arab dignitaries. However, while government ties are getting stronger, the general sentiment among the Arab public is not as positive. Polls indicate that a majority of Arabs do not approve of the recent diplomatic developments with Israel. In Bahrain, where dissent is tightly controlled, there were small demonstrations against the Bahraini government and Israel, as seen in photos and videos shared on social media. International human rights organizations claim that Bahrain lacks independent news media and that its judges are selected by the ruling royal family, the Sunni Muslim Khalifa dynasty. The Khalifa family has been in power since 1783, governing a predominantly Shia population who claim to face institutionalized discrimination. Activists in exile from Bahrain criticized Bennett's visit as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and an endorsement of Israel's policies, particularly as it coincided with the 11th anniversary of the 2011 uprising in Bahrain. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, described the visit as a disrespectful gesture towards the historical significance of the uprising against autocracy in Bahrain.