Bahrain will consider goods from the occupied West Bank and the disputed Golan Heights to be produced in Israel, Bahraini Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani told Israeli media on Thursday
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2020) Bahrain will consider goods from the occupied West Bank and the disputed Golan Heights to be produced in Israel, Bahraini Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani told Israeli media on Thursday.
An official Bahraini delegation led by Al Zayani arrived in Israel on Tuesday as part of efforts to boost relations between the countries after signing a peace deal.
When asked whether goods from the West Bank settlements and the Golan Heights would be welcomed in Bahrain and marked as "Products of Israel," the top diplomat answered in the affirmative, the Times of Israel newspaper reported.
"Without going really into details and borderlines, we would look at Israeli products � or services, because Israel has a thriving IT and innovation sector and they may not necessarily give you a physical product but IT solutions or consultancy � will be treated like Israeli," Al Zayani said, as quoted by the news outlet.
The minister expressed hope that all Bahraini products would be also marketed under the country's label and went on to say that he did not see "a distinction on which part or which city or which region it was manufactured or sourced from."
"We deal with Israel and Israeli companies like we would deal with an Italian, or an Indian, or a Chinese or a German company, or a Saudi company for that matter. There are no restrictions or special treatment or special rules. We have started a new chapter with Israel," Al Zayani added.
During a visit to Israel on November 19, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States would abandon special labeling of goods produced in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and treat them as made in Israel.
The Golan Heights has been mostly under Israel's control since the country seized the area from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. While Israel adopted a law that de facto annexed the territory in 1981, the United Nations declared that the move was void and without any legal effect.
