Defense Minister Benny Gantz landed in Bahrain Wednesday afternoon on an unannounced visit amid heightened tensions in the Gulf after missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
According to a Defense Ministry announcement, it was the first time an Israeli defense chief had visited the Gulf nation since Manama and three other Muslim-majority nations, including Gulf neighbors the United Arab Emirates, normalized ties with Jerusalem in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration.
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Defense Minister Benny Gantz greeted by Bahraini dignitaries upon landing at a Manama airport for an unannounced state visit, February 2, 2022
(Photo: Elior Levy)
The ministry also stated that Gantz and his entourage entered Saudi Arabia's airspace en route to Bahrain, the first time an Israeli military plane was permitted to do so publicly.
During his visit to the Bahraini capital, Gantz would sign a memorandum of understanding with his Bahraini counterpart Abdulla bin Hasan Al Nuaimi during the two-day visit, the first of its kind between the Jewish state and a Gulf state.
The former Israeli military chief is also slated to meet with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, military Chief of Staff is Lieutenant General Theyab bin Saqer Al Noaimi and Royal Bahrain Naval Force Commander Commodore Mohammed Yousif al-Asam.
The Boeing 707 on which the defense minister arrived has a distinguished past since it was first commissioned by Egypt in the 1950s. It was marked with the tail number 01 and served as Egyptian president.
On November 19, 1977, the aircraft landed at Lod Airport with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat on board on his first historic visit to Israel which initiated the peace process between the once bitter enemies.
In 2005, the aircraft was converted for commercial use by Slovenian aircraft refueling service Omega Air before being put into service in the Israeli Air Force's 120th Air Force Squadron in 2011.