Bahrain Mirror: The Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper said that a former general in the Israeli army will represent Israel in the upcoming economic workshop in Bahrain which will discuss the economic aspect of "deal of the century".

The newspaper explained that Yoav Mordechai, who served as Israel's chief liaison officer, will represent Israel amid official absence of Tel Aviv.

The ex-general now heads Novard, an international consultancy. Known for his far-reaching ties with some Arab countries, Mordechai has great command of the Arabic language. He will be attending the workshop next to an entourage of other Israeli businessmen.

No official political figure was invited to the event.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused downplaying the importance of Israel's participation.

"An important conference will soon be held in Bahrain and Israelis will of course participate," Netanyahu said at an event in Tel Aviv.

The conference is slated for June 25-26 in Manama. It is supposed to be a prelude to a diplomatic initiative for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Arabic Version