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Israeli official attends Bahrain security summit focusing on Iran

The event was a follow-up to a U.S.-led summit in Warsaw in February, which, Netanyahu said at the time, marked “a historic change.”

By World Israel News Staff

The head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s counter-terrorism department participated in a two-day security conference in Manama, Bahrain on Monday.

Dana Benvenisti-Gabay joined representatives from about 60 countries at the Working Group on Maritime and Aviation Security conference. Co-hosted by Bahrain, the U.S. and Poland, the event was a follow-up to a U.S.-led summit in Warsaw in February, which, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time, marked “a historic change.”

“There were 60 foreign ministers and envoys from countries there, including Arab countries with which we do not have relations, who sat together with Israel and took the stand that we set against Iran,” Netanyahu said upon his return home.

“Aviation and maritime security are at the top of the policy agenda in the region,” Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said at the opening of the Manama conference, which also focused on the Iranian threat.

In a tweet, Bahrain’s foreign ministry said that “the meeting is an occasion to exchange views on how to deal with the Iranian menace and to guarantee freedom of navigation.”

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“We all must take a collective stand… to take the necessary steps to protect our nation from rogue states, non-state actors and terrorist groups that conduct such attacks and seek to destabilize our globe,” he said. “We must also continue our efforts to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction and associated technologies and delivery systems.”

“This meeting comes at a critical moment in history,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated in a letter to the conference participants.

“The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery, whether by air or sea, pose a serious threat to international peace and security. Together, we must all be committed to taking the necessary actions to stop countries that continue to pursue WMD at great risk to all of us,” Pompeo said.

At the February conference, U.S. Vice-President Mike Pompeo, speaking with Netanyahu at his side, hailed the event as the dawning of a “new era” and said that “pushing back” against Iran is key.