Bennett will meet with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa to discuss the country's relations with the United States.
Naftali Bennett, the Israeli prime minister, has arrived in Bahrain's capital, Manama, in what is the highest-level visit between the two nations since the governments established relations under a 2020 US-sponsored agreement based in part on shared concerns about Iran.
Bennett is scheduled to meet with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, according to his office, which announced his arrival in the Gulf state on Monday.
"The leaders will explore further ways to deepen bilateral cooperation... particularly the progress of diplomatic and economic concerns, with a particular focus on technology and innovation," according to a statement from the White House.
The two-day visit to Bahrain, which is home to the United States Navy's Gulf headquarters, comes amid heightened tensions after missile assaults by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the neighboring United Arab Emirates earlier this month. In addition, Israel will normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates in 2020.
According to Bennett, who spoke with media before to flight, he hoped the visit would serve as a "message of peace... as well as a joint position against common dangers."
Israel has increased its engagement with the countries of the Gulf. On February 2, Bahrain received Israel's defense minister, and the country has announced that one Israeli military officer would be stationed in Bahrain as part of an international alliance to combat terrorism.
The outreach by Bahrain's king, a Sunni Muslim, has been criticized by an opposition headed by the Shia majority, who say it is in violation of international law. Protests in support of the Palestinians have taken place around the nation.
A small uprising took place in many Shia villages ahead of Bennett's arrival, according to activists who spoke to the Reuters news agency.
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets of Bahrain, screaming slogans and waving Bahraini flags, according to video and photographs shared on the social media pages of the country's disbanded opposition party al-Wefaq.
Israel has promised to work with its new Gulf allies in the field of air defense, but has not stated if this cooperation would involve the sale of the Iron Dome short-range missile interceptor.
Sales of such devices have in the past been hampered by concerns about whether the equipment would be safe and would not be shared with Israel's adversaries. In addition, there has been fear that it may provide a commercial competition to US defense exports.
However, a senior US official said that if Israel were to proceed with Iron Dome sales in the Gulf, there would be no opposition in Washington.
"There is a great deal of interest in Iron Dome" in the area, according to the official, who asked not to be named.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
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