A delegation of representatives from a majorly-Muslim country flew to Tel Aviv, reported leading Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom on the 15th of December. What were they doing in Tel Aviv? Apparently, to meet with Israeli officials in the nation’s capital. While the newspaper couldn’t publish the name of the country due to their own censorship policies, it was reported in the article that said Muslim country had no diplomatic ties or relations to Israel. With this information at hand, it is easy to connect the dots. As a matter of fact, one of the largest Muslim countries which is yet to recognise Israel is in Asia. On that same country’s green passport is explicitly written ‘This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.’
The meeting was held on November 20th, two weeks before this news was broken by the Hayom. This has come in the wake of several major Muslim countries intiating diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, including the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco to name a few. Take a look at news circulation in Pakistan and you will find vehement believers in the fact that advisors to the PTI Government and, indeed, to the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, were the group sent to Tel Aviv. They met with Israeli officials to stimulate some form of diplomatic seeds being sown between the two nations. While backdoor diplomacy has existed for decades now in the form of the Israeli Mossad and Pakistan’s ISI communicating intelligence with each other, perhaps it can be thought that the current Pakistani establishment wishes to turn this relationship into something more of a Halal or Kosher one.
This is a difficult task as it stands. The people of Pakistan are adamant that they do not want to have ties of any sort with the state. In fact, as major Muslim countries began normalising ties themselves with Israel, protesters flooded the streets of Pakistan with signs preaching their views – “Cut off ties with the UAE!”, to pictures of Muhammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia with the word ‘traitor’ above his face. Even the slightest hint of diplomacy with Israel sparks immense polarisation within the Islamic Republic.
This staunch opposition to Israel may be ingrained into Pakistani nature. Pakistan was founded upon similar grounds to Israel – to be a homeland for those of a specific religious background amidst the sea of religions. For Pakistan, that was Islam – birthing the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. For Israel, that was Judaism – birthing the State of Israel. Upon the birth of Pakistan in 1947, the first Prime Minister of Israel, Ben-Gurion, attempted to contact the Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in hopes of establishing some form of diplomatic ties between the two. Ben-Gurion never received a response.
For the matter of a Pakistani delegation flying into Israel, a separate matter spawns. The Pakistani passport has been a barrier for Pakistanis to travel into Israel forever. For a delegate to have travelled into Israel signifies somewhat of a greater cause. However, only time or, indeed, the members of such a delegation will be able to tell us if the country being discussed is, indeed, Pakistan. For Israeli newspapers, such as The Times of Israel, the Israel Hayom and Haaretz, however, this headline has been, and will continue to be, a field day for them.
