Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The disconnect between the regime and the people in Bahrain no longer requires a lot of evidence to back it up, as there are numerous examples available. All one needs to do is carefully read and follow the events taking place.

What happened a few days ago at the White House in Washington D.C. was a scandal. Bahraini Ambassador Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa attended on Tuesday (January 28, 2020) the ceremony announcing the so-called "deal of the century", along with UAE ambassador Yousef Al-Otaiba and ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman Hunaina Al-Mughairy.

The Bahraini ambassador, son of Interior Minister Rashid Al Khalifa, was not ashamed to sit in the fifth row applauding Trump and Netanyahu as they announced the details of the deal, which was not approved by any of the Palestinian parties. Nonetheless, he continued to clap for them and smiled at the cameras as he listened to Trump and Netanyahu thank him and the ambassadors of the UAE and Oman for attending the ceremony, which was missed by the rest of the Arab states.

Since 2011, the Bahraini regime has adopted bold steps in normalization with Israel, seeking international support and cover up for its continued repression of its people. The Bahraini regime achieved this goal, as it received a number of official Israeli delegations in Bahrain at the meetings of the FIFA Congress, the UN Heritage Committee and other events. Also, the Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa did not hesitate to express his support for Israel in its attack on three Arab countries (Iraq, Syria and Lebanon). He also defended Israel's right to defend itself and denounced the responses from the other assaulted countries.

The Bahraini minister went far with his normalization. He publically met his Israeli counterpart in Washington, which none of his Gulf counterparts have yet dared to do. In a move not previously made by any of the Gulf States, Bahrain publicly welcomed Israeli media outlets in Manama to cover the economic workshop (economic part of the deal of the century) hosted by Bahrain.

On the sidelines of the workshop, the Israeli media interviewed Khalid Al Khalifa and later expressed admiration for the Bahraini regime and its boldness in normalizing relations with Tel Aviv.

The Al Khalifa family has turned Bahrain into a safe space for Israelis who visit it periodically and take photos at its tourist and historical landmarks. Bahraini citizens are no longer surprised to see Israeli figures posting photos of themselves at tourist landmarks in Bahrain, as former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni did.

However, the accelerated normalization with Israel has been met with an absolute popular rejection by both Shiite and Sunni citizens alike, and does not seem to be welcomed by anyone. It has become very clear that the Bahraini regime is so distant and disconnected from its people on such an issue.

What happened on Tuesday at the White House was a disgrace to the Bahraini regime. The history will record how the Al Khalifa family was a pioneer in liquidating the Palestinian cause and reneging on the rightful Palestinian demands. The people of Bahrain have disowned what the regime has done through their protests and public posts on social media, which would perhaps lead to the imprisonment of more activists.

Arabic Version