Palestine recalls its ambassador to Bahrain

Palestine has recalled its ambassador to Manama shortly after Bahrain signed an agreement to restore ties with Israel.

Foreign Minister Riyad al Malik "summoned the ambassador in Manama to consult and discuss the necessary steps towards the normalisation agreement," according to a statement.

Israel and Bahrain agreed to establish full diplomatic relations on Friday in a second breakthrough between Israel and its Arab neighbours after it normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates last month.

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The latest agreement was finalised during a telephone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, according to a joint US-Bahrain-Israel statement published on Twitter by US President Donald Trump.

Bahrain becomes the fourth Arab country to have diplomatic relations with Israel, after Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994 and the UAE in 2020.

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Palestinian Authority, Hamas condemn deal

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas both condemned Friday's Israeli-Bahraini normalisation deal as another "stab in the back" by an Arab state and act of "aggression" against their people.

"The Palestinian leadership strongly rejects and condemns the American-Bahraini-Israeli tripartite declaration on the normalisation of relations between the occupying state of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain," the Palestinian Authority said in a statement.

The statement called the move "a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al Aqsa and the Palestinian cause".

The statement added that Bahrain's step blows up the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of Arab and Islamic summits.

The agreement was "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people," like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month, Ahmad Majdalani, social affairs minister in the occupied West Bank-based PA, told AFP.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said it was an "aggression" that dealt "serious prejudice" to the Palestinian cause.

READ MORE: Hezbollah, Hamas leaders discuss changing Israel-Arab ties

Decision against IOC and Arab peace - Turkey 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the decision by Bahrain to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, adding it will deal a fresh blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause.

"It will further encourage Israel to continue illegitimate practices towards Palestine and its efforts to make the occupation of Palestinian lands permanent," the ministry statement said.

The decision is against the Arab Peace Initiative and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation commitments, the ministry said.

Iranian official says Bahrain-Israel deal a great betrayal

The agreement between Israel and Bahrain is a great betrayal to the Islamic cause and Palestinians, tweeted a special adviser on international affairs to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, in reaction to a Friday deal between the two states on establishing diplomatic relations.

"The imprudent leaders in UAE, #Bahrain must not pave the way for the Zionist schemes. They should learn lessons from history. Tomorrow is late! The US lifeline has worn out for years." tweeted Hossein Amir Abdollahian, also a former deputy foreign minister.

Netanyahu welcomes normalisation with Bahrain

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Friday welcomed US President Trump's announcement of reaching a normalisation deal between Israel and Bahrain.

In a news conference broadcast by the Israeli KAN TV, Netanyahu said that it took Israel 29 days to reach the agreement with Bahrain.

Netanyahu also confirmed that other Arab countries will establish ties with Israel. "It is a new phase of peace," he added.

Egypt's Sisi hails 'historic' normalisation deal

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi on Friday hailed the "historic" normalisation deal between Israel and Bahrain.

"I hail this important step aimed at consolidating stability and peace in the Middle East, which will achieve a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian cause," Sisi said in a tweet.

Sisi also thanked "all those who helped achieve this historic step". Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994, while the UAE announced it was normalising ties with the Jewish state on August 13.

Jordan says the necessary steps to achieve a fair peace should come from Israel

Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement on Friday, that the necessary steps to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region should come from Israel.

The minister added, after the announcement of a normalisation of ties between Israel and Bahrain, Israel should stop all its procedures to undermine the two-states solution, and end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian lands.

UAE welcomes Israel-Bahrain agreement, hopes it will be positive for peace

The UAE on Friday welcomed the decision by Bahrain and Israel to establish relations, which it said it hoped would have a positive effect on the climate for peace and cooperation in the region and around the world.

"The move represents a significant step towards an era of security and prosperity ... (and) would expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation," the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UAE will normalise ties with Israel on September15, which was announced last month. Bahrain and Israel will sign a declaration the same day.

The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry congratulated Bahrain and Israel on their decision to establish full diplomatic relations, ministry spokeswoman Hend Al Otaiba said on Twitter on Friday.

READ MORE: Arab League fails to approve resolution condemning UAE-Israel deal

Bahrain-Israel normalisation shows peace is way to Palestinian rights - official

Bahrain normalising relations with Israel affirms that a fair and lasting peace is the best way to guarantee Palestinian rights, Nabeel Al Hamer, media advisor to the king of Bahrain, said on Friday.

‘Bahrainis against normalisation' tops Twitter

The top trending tweet Friday on Twitter in Bahrain was "Bahrainis against normalisation" shortly after a deal to normalise relations between Israel and Bahrain was announced.

"It is an illusion that the Bahraini people enter the tunnel of normalisation. The Egyptian people up to the moment have their heads raised against normalisation," said Majed Milad, a leading member of the Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest opposition group in Bahrain that was dissolved by authorities in 2018.

Human rights activist Maryam Al Khawaja posted a series of tweets in which she said: "The people of Bahrain are not free, nor do they have any say in what the regime does or decides, locally or internationally. The fight for justice and freedom continues."

Former lawmaker Jawad Fayrouz, said: "The largest and most horrific crime committed by the ruling authority in Bahrain in its history against the people, the homeland and the Arab and Islamic nations, and human values is normalisation with the Zionist entity."