Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement

Historical eventSeptember 152020

Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement

Signing of the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement occurs in Washington, D.C., normalizing relations between Israel and two Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Everything on September 15Original source
Photo: Government of Bahrain · CC0

In context

When
Tuesday, September 15 20206 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2020s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2020-09-15.

Place: White House, Bahrain.

Type: peace treaty.

What came before

Part of: Abraham Accords.

Background See also: Bahrain–Israel relations In 2005, Bahrain abandoned its boycott of Israel , in exchange for a free trade agreement with the United States . [ 1 ] On May 20–21, 2017, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh , a summit of 55 Muslim countries and the U.S. discussed ways of rooting out global terrorism . [ 2 ] King Salman of Saudi Arabia and the leaders of the Sunni countries, including Bahrain, discussed Iran's growing influence and activities in the Middle East.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The Trump administration pursued a diplomatic strategy to isolate Iran and reshape Middle Eastern alliances. The UAE became the first Gulf Arab state to formally recognize Israel in August 2020, breaking the Arab League consensus against recognition.

Bahrain followed the UAE's lead within weeks, signaling a shift in regional dynamics where shared concerns about Iran's influence outweighed traditional Palestinian solidarity positions.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

U.S. President Donald Trump brokered the agreement alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed on behalf of their nations.

The signing ceremony took place at the White House with Trump as the central mediator and witness to the historic agreement.

TimelineAI-assisted

August 13, 2020: The UAE announced its normalization agreement with Israel, the first Gulf Arab state to do so. September 15, 2020: Bahrain signed its own normalization agreement at the White House ceremony, becoming the second Arab nation to formally recognize Israel that month.

What happened

Reactions    Bahrain and Israel    Support    Oppose    Neutral/Ambiguous    No public position Australia : Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said Australia welcomes the normalization of relations between the two states and called it a courageous step forward peace and security in the Middle East. [ 1 ]

Signing of the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement occurs in Washington, D.C., normalizing relations between Israel and two Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

September 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1983Israel
  2. 1995Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133
  3. 2001Championship Auto Racing Teams
  4. 2004National Hockey League
  5. 2008Lehman Brothers
  6. 20082008 financial crisis
  7. 2011Gleision Colliery mining accident
  8. 2013Ivan Kulesh
  9. 2017Parsons Green train bombing
  10. 2020Abraham Accords
  11. 2020Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement

Also in 2020

  • September 52020 California wildfiresCalifornia wildfires: A pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party ignited the El Dorado Fire (pictured), burning for 71 days and killin…
  • July 13Naya RiveraAfter a five day search, the body of American actress and singer Naya Rivera was recovered from Lake Piru, confirming her death.
  • July 13Death of Naya RiveraAfter a five-day search, the body of American actress and singer Naya Rivera is recovered from Lake Piru in California, where she had dro…
  • May 25George FloydGeorge Floyd, a black American man, was murdered (memorial pictured) during an arrest by a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparking…
  • August 102020 Midwest derechoDerecho in Iowa becomes the most costly thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history.
  • January 3Qasem SoleimaniIranian General Qasem Soleimani is killed by an American airstrike near Baghdad International Airport, igniting global concerns of a pote…
  • November 27Mohsen FakhrizadehNuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, regarded as the chief of Iran's nuclear program, was assassinated, allegedly by Mossad.
  • November 27Utah monolithDays after the announcement of its discovery, the Utah monolith is removed by recreationists.

Everything we record for 2020 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/bahrain-israel-normalization-agreement-2020-september-15, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement happen?

September 15 2020 — 6 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.