Bahrain took the decision to end the boycott of Israeli goods because it is one of the conditions of the free trade agreement with the United States.
Bahrain, which hosts the base of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, signed the free trade deal with the United States last year, becoming the first Gulf state to do so.
The move makes Bahrain the first of the six Arab states of the Gulf to abolish its trade boycott of Israel, although others, such as Qatar and Oman, have taken limited steps in that direction.
The repeal coincides with signs of a thaw in relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim states following its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
I personally think it’s too early for Arab countries to rush into lifting trade boycotts, building diplomatic relations and being friendly with Israel just because it withdrawed from Gaza.
Things are still not clear enough and a process towards a lasting solution isn’t on track yet.
Until that happens, I think it’s still premature to take any steps towards full normalization with Israel by the Arab countries.