Crown Prince of Bahrain sets out Kingdom’s position on Israel-Gaza conflict during keynote address at Manama Dialogue
Manama, Nov. 17 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today delivered a keynote address at the 19th edition of the Manama Dialogue, the Middle East’s premier security and defence conference.
During his address, His Royal Highness Prince Salman reiterated Bahrain’s condemnation of Hamas’ 7 October attacks, as well as condemnation of Israel’s retaliation, which has resulted in the death of 11,000 Gazans and left many more living in an intolerable situation without access to basic necessities such as electricity, running water, and medical care.
His Royal Highness also set out the conditions necessary for ‘breaking the cycle of violence,’ a feat that will only be made possible through the release of innocents and non-combatants. His Royal Highness stressed that the release of hostages is a pre-requisite to a pause in hostilities.
Additionally, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister called for the rule of international law to be fully implemented to ensure that the Gazan people have access to humanitarian aid.
His Royal Highness also emphasised that lasting peace will only be secured through a two-state solution that enshrines the rights of the Palestinian people. The Crown Prince said that this process requires international leadership, and that the United States is indispensable in this regard.
His Royal Highness said, “Let me be extremely clear on what matters to the Kingdom of Bahrain. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, now or ever. There must be no reoccupation of Gaza. There must be no reduction in Gaza’s territory. And on the other side, there must be no terrorism directed from Gaza against the Israeli public. Those are the red lines.”
To ensure lasting peace, His Royal Highness also stressed that in the aftermath of conflict, elections must be delivered to offer the Palestinian people a strong and unified leadership. This process must be led by an interlocutor and partner who can broker an end to violence and deliver the prospect of a viable and independent Palestinian state that will also guarantee security and stability for its neighbour, Israel.
In conclusion, His Royal Highness asserted that military conflict must not be the final arbiter. The Crown Prince stated that diplomacy and the rule of international law must be the principal mechanisms for conflict resolution, noting that if the world does not work across all political lines to make sure that the voice of reason is heard, it risks creating conditions for acts of violence to spread globally.
