Herzog, Bahrain FM Seek Stronger Abraham Accords

President Isaac Herzog met Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 14, 2026. The two discussed strengthening the Abraham Accords and expanding regional peace and cooperation, Herzog’s office said. The meeting put Israel and Bahrain’s relationship in focus during a visit that also included Herzog’s scheduled address to a regional summit the following day.

The Abraham Accords

Herzog’s office said the leaders discussed “the importance of strengthening the Abraham Accords to expand the circle of peace and cooperation in the region.” The statement described talks focused on strengthening the accords and widening regional cooperation. It didn’t provide details of specific proposals, agreements or steps discussed at the meeting.

The accords established normalized relations between Israel and Bahrain in 2020. Six years had passed since normalization by October 14, 2026. Herzog also emphasized the “great importance” of the relationship between the countries, according to his office.

The meeting took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, not in Israel or Bahrain. Herzog’s office identified Herzog and Al-Zayani as the participants and recorded its account of the discussion. It gave no further detail about the foreign minister’s remarks or any separate statement from Bahrain.

Ties During the Gaza War

The account said relations between Israel and Bahrain faced strain during the war on Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 attack. It didn’t specify how that strain affected diplomatic contacts or identify particular disputes between the countries. Nor did it describe any change in the status of their normalized relations.

The reported discussion of strengthening the Abraham Accords came against that stated backdrop: the countries had normalized relations, and their ties had faced strain during the war. Herzog’s office presented expanding peace and cooperation as the meeting’s subject, but didn’t say whether the leaders agreed on particular measures to address tensions.

The account included no details about military activity, terror infrastructure, casualties, hostages or the use of civilian sites during the war. It also made no reference to Iran, other armed groups or international legal proceedings. The reported meeting details included no claims about those subjects.

Baku Summit

Herzog was scheduled to address the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia summit in Baku on October 15, the day after he met Al-Zayani. The account didn’t provide the text or subject of the planned address. It said the summit appearance was scheduled, not that Herzog had already delivered the speech.

The meeting and scheduled address placed the Abraham Accords and regional cooperation among the events on Herzog’s Baku visit. The office statement identified the relationship between Israel and Bahrain as important and said the leaders discussed expanding the circle of peace and cooperation. It didn’t announce a new agreement or specify a timetable for further talks.