23 Feb 2022; MEMO: A senior official from Bahrain's Foreign Ministry revealed on Monday that the Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad is "present" in the Gulf state.
Sheikh Abdulla Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's undersecretary for political affairs, made the announcement in the presence of Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz in Germany at the Munich Security Conference.
"There is intelligence cooperation between Bahrain and Israel. The Mossad is in Bahrain and they're present in the region," Al-Khalifa said.
"If this security cooperation between Bahrain and Israel would mean providing more stability and security, so be it, if it would mean saving the lives of innocent civilians, so be it," the official continued.
Al-Khalifa noted that visits by Mossad chiefs have been reported by Bahrain's official news agency and therefore have not been kept secret.
Bahrain is among four Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco, that signed US-sponsored agreements to normalise relations with Israel in 2020.
"The head of Mossad was received by his counterpart in Bahrain, so we do believe security cooperation, intelligence cooperation is part of our ongoing partnership between Bahrain and Israel and will continue," Al-Khalifa added.
The public acknowledgement of Israel's Mossad operating in his country comes after the signing of a security cooperation agreement earlier this month between the two countries, the first between Israel and a Gulf nation, during a visit by Gantz to the kingdom.
