Bahrain Mirror: The Israeli Ynetnews news website said that Schneier predicted that Bahrain would be the first of the Gulf states to officially establish diplomatic relations with Israel, and believes this will occur in 2019.

The website said that Schneier relied in his predictions on closed-door meetings he's had with other Gulf leaders and foreign ministers.

He also estimated that Bahrain may not be the only Gulf state to do so this coming year.

The website indicated that some Gulf leaders have publicly increased their support of Israel this year.

Earlier this month, Bahraini minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa rejected the stance taken by the Arab League against Australia's official recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In a tweet published earlier this week, he asserted that recognition of West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is in line with the vision at the heart of the Arab Peace Initiative to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is to mention that Schneier led the first ever Jewish Congregational mission to an Arab Gulf state. The delegation was invited by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Among the Gulf state leaders he met with in the past are the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan.

The "common wisdom" that regional alliances against Iran are the main driver for the warming ties with Israel misses the mark, Schneier said, based on these meetings.

Netanyahu's recent visit to Oman was followed by the playing of Israel's national anthem  for the first time in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Israel's Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev. Israeli Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz traveled to Oman to discuss building a railroad between Israel and the Gulf in November.

Israel is at a process of "normalization with the Arab world without progress in the diplomatic process with the Palestinians," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

Arabic Version