'Cancerous' Israel: Pakistan defence minister deletes anti-Israel post ahead of Islamabad peace talks
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Cancerous' Israel: Pakistan defence minister deletes anti-Israel post ahead of Islamabad peace talks")
Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
Did Pakistan’s defence minister just derail peace talks before they began? Just days before US-Iran negotiations, Khwaja Asif posted explosive remarks about Israel, triggering sharp backlash before deleting them.
Diplomatic misstep or deeper stance?
Scroll down to read more.
Less than 48 hours before high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran were set to begin in Islamabad, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif posted a series of messages on X describing Israel as "evil and a curse for humanity" and expressing hope that those who created "this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European Jews burn in hell." Now, the posts have been deleted.
What did Khwaja Asif say?
In a post on X, the Pakistan Defence Minister claimed that, as "peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran, and now Lebanon, and bloodletting continues unabated."
Calling Israel "cancerous," he added, “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell.”
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Israel slams Asif's post
Israel responded immediately and with considerable heat. The Prime Minister's Office called the remarks "outrageous," adding that they could not "be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace." Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar went further, describing Khawaja Muhammad Asif's comments as "blatant antisemitic blood libels" and stating plainly that "calling the Jewish state 'cancerous' is effectively calling for its annihilation."
"Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," he added.
The backlash extended beyond Israel. US Congressman Josh Gottheimer called the rhetoric "vile" and "beyond unacceptable," adding that it was "unproductive at this fragile moment, " adding, "This is not diplomacy and must be condemned".
Analyst Emily Schrader argued Pakistan "should not be permitted to mediate anything."
Former US official Ellie Cohanim noted that "Many of us were concerned by the idea of the country which harboured and sheltered 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden to serve as any kind of mediator". She added that "Pakistan has blown any notion of objectivity".
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
