Israel's Netanyahu says will visit Bahrain soon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would visit Bahrain "soon" at the invitation of the Gulf state's Crown Prince Salman al-Khalifa.

Bahrain followed the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel in a deal brokered by the United States that marked a strategic Middle East alignment against Iran.

The shift has enraged the Palestinians who have demanded statehood before any such regional rapprochement. "We are both excited to bring the fruits of peace to our people and countries in such a short time. That's why he (al-Khalifa) invited me to come soon for a formal visit in Bahrain and I will do this happily," Netanyahu said in a statement about a phone call he held with the crown prince.

A first Bahraini delegation visited Israel last Wednesday. On Monday, an Israeli official and local media said Netanyahu had secretly traveled to

Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in what would be the first publicly confirmed visit there by an Israeli leader.