The group watched curiously from the Israelis during a guided tour through Cardo and the Western Wall. Locals were quick to take selfies with Bahrainis as if they were celebrities.
The delegates were on an eight-day visit to experience Israel for themselves and lay the foundation for mutual relations for peace between Israelis and Bahrainis.
Dan Fefferman, Sharqa’s director of communications and global affairs, said: “We don’t want the Abraham Agreement to remain at the government level, we want it to be at the people level as well.”
Bahrain activists on a tour of Israel. (credit: Michael Starr)
The group visited the Yad Vashem and Mahane Yehuda open markets, met politicians in the Knesset, and traveled to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tiberias and Marom Golan.
Khawla al-Sher, an activist for youth and women’s empowerment, was advised by her friends not to travel to Israel and warned her to be careful. Mainstream and social media only showed the conflict.
“We have knowledge and information but only from one side,” Al-Sher said.
Instead of struggle, the people of Bahrain were surprised to see people living a normal life.
Bahrain activists on a tour of Israel. (credit: Michael Starr)
The disparity between reality and the media taught al-Sher the need to speak with real people, and that others cannot be understood through just one screen.
Muhammad al-Shayar, a musician and self-described “nomadic”, expressed admiration for the diversity he saw.
“Israel has a little bit of everything to do with its character,” he said, also seeing it in architecture, where “you have different influences from different Jews from different regions.”
Bahrain activists on a tour of Israel. (credit: Michael Starr)
However, not all miscellaneous experiences were positive. While al-Harbi shared that “Israelis are very happy and welcoming,” the group was surrounded by some Palestinian men, who held scarves over their heads.
There was negative reaction from back home as well.
“It’s not an easy thing for us to come by, it’s not always positive with social media, friends and family,” Khawla Al-Shayer said.
“Many people are very happy with the peace, but it is not as fast as in the UAE,” Al-Harbi said. “It may be slowing down, but it’s growing.”
Sharqa, which means “partnership” in Arabic, is an NGO that seeks to promote that development by organizing delegations among the signatories of the Abrahamic Agreement.
“Sharka is a project that connects people,” said project founder Amit Derry. “About a year ago we brought in a historic delegation from the UAE and today we are proud to be the first to host a delegation from Bahrain.”
According to Arsene Ostrovsky, board member of Sharqa Israel and president and CEO of The International Legal Forum, Bahrain is “an inspiring example of building bridges between the nations of the Abrahamic Agreement and promoting real people-to-people peace.”
The board of Sharqa consists of members from each of the Abraham Accord states – united by a common goal. According to delegates, shared goals are what make trips like theirs so effective.
“Hebrew and Arabic have similar languages, which shows that we have a deep connection,” said Khawla al-Shayar. He also commented on how Bahrainis and Israelis have in common small things like foods and cultural items. They also faced common problems.
“We are facing bigger issues than ideology wars, like climate change, we must unite to fight these problems,” she said.
More than a year ago, there was little or no contact between Bahrainis and Israelis. Through visits like the Sharka delegation, they are now finding common ground.
“Interesting how the Jews are such a diverse people: I didn’t expect it,” said Muhammad al-Sher, passing through the Jewish quarter. But there is a “shared premise: that which brings people together.”
“Peace is getting people common ground,” he said.