Manama, 18 January—Sixteen Bahraini political organizations have formed an alliance to implement a series of activities and promote initiatives to defend the Palestinian cause. One of the objectives of the joint effort is expected to be the reopening of the Israel boycott office, which the government closed in 2005 as a requirement for the signing of a free trade agreement with the United States.
During the 23 days of the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, a growing number of parliamentarians already called for a revision of the government's decision in 2005.
Furthermore, the sixteen Bahraini organizations plan to set up a national plan of action, spearheading calls for rallies and holding seminars and conferences to debate Palestine-related issues and mobilize Bahraini citizens and expatriates to express their solidarity with Palestinians in various forms and through a series of events.
Ali Ahmad, a parliamentarian for the Islamic Menbar, announced the plan and hosted the meeting of the sixteen organizations. He was seconded by Ibrahim Kamal al-Deen, chairman of the left-wing Waad society, who announced: "We will send a letter to King Hamad Bin Eisa al-Khalifa to convey the popular view that we are against any step towards the normalisation of ties with the Zionist entity and against any contact with its people and institutions. We will also plead for the reopening of the Boycott office and for an end to the move to launch a regional forum that includes the Zionists".
The sixteen organizations released a joint statement in which they called upon all Arab and Islamic states to "assume their responsibilities and sever all forms of relations with the Zionists”, adding that “the least they can do as a result of this genocide is to recall their diplomats to protest at the crimes perpetrated by the Zionists against the helpless people in Gaza".