On Nov 17, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that he would be the first Israeli head of state to travel to Bahrain during a tour of the Gulf next month. Israel normalized diplomatic relations with Bahrain and its Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates (UAE) two years ago under U.S. sponsorship. Herzog, according to his office, will make a state visit to Bahrain at the invitation of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. He will then travel to the UAE where he will meet President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
