Is Pakistan trying to woo Israel?

A recent sensational controversy has rocked the present Pakistani Government when the news trickled in that a number of Pakistani expats and some citizens recently travelled to Israel from the US. This was discussed in the Pakistani parliament, media conferences, public meetings and other platforms.

The trip'smain organizer Anila Ali, who heads the Non-Government Organization (NGO) called American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) disclosed to a prominent Pakistani newspaper that they had arranged special permission from the PTI government for one of its members, a Pakistani citizen, to travel to Israel.

The said individual, a woman, was assured that she will not be harmed due to her Israel visit. On the other hand, Anila Ali also claimed that her NGO aims to build inter-faith ties with people of different communities in the US. More significantly, the aim was also towards forging a natural alliance with Muslims and Jews as formidable partners for future scheme of things.

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This ongoing raging controversy is unlikely to die out as it is being politically exploited to malign the erstwhile Imran Khan dispensation which has been accused for encouraging this trip.

One, Ahmed Quraishi, the Pakistani Television (PTV) journalist, who accompanied the delegation to Israel, gave out to the press that Imran Khan regime had initiated the unexpected debate on Pakistan-Israel relations and denied rather categorically that the Pakistani delegation had anything to do to lobby in establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Pakistan and it was to promote only interfaith harmony, Muslim-Jewish reconciliation, and the Abraham Accords.

Quraishi, however, a full-time employee of the PTV, was dismissed from service summarily which he has contested.

He further said in his defence that the government’s announcement meant that it was endorsing PTI’s leadership’s “false claims” about a state employee being sent to Israel. In his opinion, the statement that the government issued through PTV was a political one, possibly trying to give PTI leadership a concession.

He also claimed that the purpose of his delegation’s visit had “nothing to do with Pakistan”. Quraishi also alleged that the matter was dragged into Pakistani politics and politicized by Shireen Mazari, who used photos of the trip to claim that the Shehbaz Sharif government was conducting covert diplomacy with Tel Aviv.

This has further messed up things.

Notwithstanding the facts, as discussed above, it would be pertinent to point out that it was former President Pervez Musharraf who during his tenure, had met the vibrant Jewish lobby in the US to use their good offices to facilitate a toe hold in Tel Aviv for a thaw in the bilateral ties.

As a hawk and a military dictator, who always had India in mind in his external and internal policies, wanted to befriend Israel to strike a balance. He was indeed short of vision as general Pakistani public and the highly Islamized Pakistan’s society with religious radicals still calling the shots, would always be vehemently opposed to Pakistan getting close to Israel chiefly on the issue of Palestine and Zionism.

Further, it is quite possible that a segment in the Pakistani establishment had encouraged this NGO under discussion to use a `trial balloon’ to test the waters. It is also likely that the Jewish lobby too had been thinking of alluring the Pakistan security establishment to allure them for inviting Israel’s companies for investments in Pakistan. Their role and priorities have always been commercial and less political.

Several Israeli companies are active in sale of security spyware and intelligence-related equipment and they have gone all over the world with spectacular success. Pakistan, essentially a military-dominated country with India as the arch-enemy, could be an ideal marketing turf for the Israeli business houses.

Hence, this possibility is also not ruled out. However, if Pakistan officially goes ahead in warming up to Israel (which does not look feasible), public sentiment within will go ballistic and it will be an exercise in futility.

This is evident by unsavoury and knee-jerk sensation in this sensational move. It is also worth taking a note that of late, Israel has warmed up to its adversaries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Both these countries have one thing common with Israel. And, that is Iran as their enemy. It’s not the case with Pakistan. Saudi Arabia and UAE have regimes which can control the public opinion within but Pakistan cannot.

In other words, the `trial balloon’ is pricked and burst hence move by this NGO is a non-starter.

On their part, the current Pakistani government will also play safe exercising utmost caution. As it is, it’s a fragile coalition saddled with countless uncertainties. Opening a new front will be suicidal and any signal of getting close proximity to Israel will incur the wrath of many. Surely, the new dispensation cannot afford to take that risk.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)