⁍ The deal will enable Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim monarchy to win more support from Western and regional partners.

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⁍ It risks deepening political tensions and may energise a long demoralised opposition led by the Shi’ite majority.

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⁍ Bahrain, host to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and other international naval operations, was the only Gulf Arab state to witness a sizeable pro-democracy uprising in the 2011 ‘Arab Spring

– Bahrain has become the first country in the Middle East to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, a move that has been denounced as “treason” by Palestinians—and praised by the Trump administration. The announcement by the kingdom, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, came after six years of pro-democracy protests by the country’s Sunni Muslim monarchy, which is supported by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which support the kingdom’s Shi’ite Muslim majority, reports Reuters. The government says the new ties with Israel will help “secure lasting regional stability and peace,” though the deal has been denounced by the opposition, which accuses the government of using the terms “normalization” and “treason.” “I am Bahraini and the Bahraini regime does not represent me,” read one protest banner, shared on social media. “Normalization is treason,” read others. Bahrain says the deal will help “secure lasting regional stability and peace,” but analysts say it could also strengthen the government, since traditional allies are more likely to turn a blind eye to any further crackdown. “Bahrain is squarely focused on its critical ties with the United States and with its Gulf allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” says Kristin Smith Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “These political dependencies condition immediate Bahraini alignment with the leadership in Abu Dhabi and Washington on this critical issue.” (Bahrain recently moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.)