MANAMA: Bahrain’s Parliament on Tuesday approved legislation penalising contacts with Israel.
“Whoever holds any communication or official talks with Israeli officials or travels to Israel will face a fine ... and/or a jail sentence of three to five years,” member of Parliament Jalal Fairooz from the Shiite Al-Wefaq bloc, an opposition group that was the driving force behind the move.
“The motivation is that steps are being taken by certain countries to allow certain talks to be held with Israeli officials. Israeli delegates have managed to participate in events in Arab countries with no treaties with Israel.”
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa wrote in the Washington Post in July that Arabs had not done enough to communicate directly with Israelis.
“We believe that establishing contacts with the Zionist enemy is an offense punishable by law,” said Nasser al-Fadhallah, a conservative lawmaker.
He said it would be “embarrassing for the government” if the bill — which will be transferred to the upper house sometime in November — is postponed or blocked because it would be obstructing the will of the Bahraini people.
Bahraini officials visited Israel in July in an official capacity for the first time to collect five of their nationals Israel was deporting after seizing them on a ship bound for the Palestinian territory of Gaza, blockaded by Israel.
