Latest Arab rumor: JNF bought island in Bahrain so Jews can escape in case of war (UPDATE)

Arabic media are claiming that Israel purchased an island from Bahrain. Middle East Monitor has all the details:

Israel has reportedly "bought an island" from Bahrain, prompting criticism from activists opposed to the on-going normalisation between the two countries.

News of the purchase was initially announced by TV7 Israel News, before being removed after it was broadcasted, according to Al-Mayadeen. However, several social media users managed to screenshot the report before it was erased.

According to the report, Israeli firm Himnota, which is owned by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a "charitable" organisation that has long been used by the apartheid state for expropriating Palestinian lands and obfuscating Israel's war crimes, acquired the private island for $21.5 million in an auction.

The island, which measures 9,554 square metres, will be used for investment projects and could be used to evacuate Israelis in case of the outbreak of war. Avery Schneier, who is on the board of directors of the company, said talks will be held with the "friendly" Bahraini government to transfer sovereignty over the island to Israel.

It is strange to have a story with such details made up from scratch. One grain of truth in the story is that Bahrain indeed intends to sell an  island and other properties at auction - but the auction hasn't happened yet. It is scheduled for February 28.

I also couldn't find the screenshots of the Israeli TV Channel 7 website that supposedly were captured on social media before it was taken down. The earliest I can find the story reported is from a Syrian "researcher" who did not link to anything, just the claim that it was from Israeli TV but he didn't say he watched it himself.

The story seems highly unlikely, to put it mildly.

UPDATE: Now Bahraini media is combining this rumor with a conspiracy theory that one of Bahrain's artificial islands is shaped like a Chanukah menorah and therefore has been designated from the start to be a Jewish/Zionist area.

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