“As-salamu alaykum, shalom aleichem.

 

 

“This phrase has a double meaning both in Hebrew and Arabic – a greeting when people meet, and a blessing for a lifetime of peace and cooperation.

 

 

“The global struggle today is not between right and left, nor between Judaism and Islam or Christianity. The global struggle is between moderate and extreme. Between a culture of life, versus a culture of destruction and death. Today, together with all our friends in the Gulf, we are leading a brave coalition of moderates who are looking ahead to create a prosperous future of stability and tolerance. We live in a global reality in which those who are reclusive will disappear. Those who cooperate will lead both the world and the Middle East.

 

 

“We are hardy peoples. We knew how to grow life in the heart of the desert. We did this because we knew how to adapt to a changing reality. It is now our responsibility to build a future of prosperity and progress for our children.

 

 

“Bahrain, like Israel, encompasses an ancient history along with the extraordinary capabilities of the new technological world. Our opportunities are shared, our threats are shared, and they are not far from here.

 

 

“In his speech at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the late Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin said: ‘Peace is the beauty of life. Is the sunrise. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the promotion of man, the victory of the just goal and the victory of the truth. Peace is all that, and much more.’

 

 

“Today we bring each other the ‘much more than that,’ the official opening of the embassies, which will mark the political cooperation between us.

 

 

“I would like to once again thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for the privilege of being here today. Together, we take another step forward in our relationship.”