Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa (Khaled Elfiqi, Pool, via AP)

Israel received surprising support from Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, who backed the Jewish state’s retaliatory strikes in Lebanon after the Hezbollah terror organization attacked IDF targets on Sunday, blaming Lebanon for the situation.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

“The aggression of one state against another is prohibited by international law. A state standing by, watching battles taking place on its borders and putting its people in danger is a state that greatly neglects its responsibilities,” Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa tweeted.

He further said that “it is unacceptable for Lebanon to be put in a situation of a possibility of a devastating war in which it has no glory or use.”

Bahrain further urged its citizens to leave Lebanon “immediately” after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel, “given the events and developments in the country that require everyone to take precautions.”

Khalifa has previously displayed public support for Israel and expressed a desire for improved relations with the Jewish state in general.

Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yisrael Katz met publicly with al-Khalifa at the State Department in Washington in July.

Al Khalifa, in his first interview with the Israeli media in June, stated, “Israel is a country of the Middle East. Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region. The Jewish People have a place among us. The Israeli public needs to trust that there are countries in the region that do want to have peace and do encourage the Palestinians to do it.”