Why Pakistan should recognize Israel posthaste

By RAHEEL RAZA

Pakistan’s creation was on similar grounds as Israel – a country for Muslims to call their own.

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan have taken the first step in thawing the relationship between Israel and the Muslim world. We are witnessing history in the making and we will soon see other Muslim countries follow suit. As a Pakistani-born Canadian Muslim, I too had reservations before my first visit to Israel about 13 years ago. Concerned fellow Muslims had warned us about being detained at the airport, armed personnel on the streets and threats of violence.

My experience was exactly the opposite. I was welcomed to the country without any excess questioning and the visit was an eyeopener in every way. I travelled across Israel meeting both Arab and Jewish Israelis, asking open-ended questions and observing with great interest that the only way one can understand what Israel is really about is to personally visit the country. Since then I have gone back over a dozen times to the point that on my last visit the immigration officer asked me “and where is your Israeli passport”?

I also travel to Pakistan regularly and am dismayed at the conspiracy theories that abound regarding Israel and Jews. According to UN data in 2020, Pakistan has a population of 220,892,340. Its population is equivalent to 2.83% of the total world population. The adult literacy rate there is 65%, with males at 69% and females at 40%. The number of people living in poverty will have increased from 69 million in June 2018 to 87 million by June 2020, indicating a 26% increase in poverty. Pakistan’s neighbors are China, Afghanistan and Iran. Interestingly, Pakistan used to have a small but thriving Jewish community many years ago. They were architects and literary figures mostly living in the port city of Karachi where some of the buildings still reflect their architecture. In fact, there is a Jewish cemetery in Karachi, which is taken care of by a Pakistani Muslim family. Most of the Jewish families have since left.

Pakistan is geopolitically very strategically placed and is the only Muslim nuclear power. Right now, Pakistan is going through a tussle between China and the US, breaking away from US friendship, which was forged in 1947 when Pakistan was created. Pakistan’s creation was on similar grounds as Israel – a country for Muslims to call their own.

The question arises: why should Pakistan recognize Israel? It’s inevitable and the answer is simple. Until now the excuse for Pakistan was the plight of the Palestinians. Is it better not to recognize a country (which Pakistan considers the aggressor) and just keep the status quo, or recognize Israel, which would bring debate and discussion to the table? The Palestinian issue is only raised in Pakistan for political purposes. Most people in Pakistan are completely unaware of Israel’s achievements; its advancement in technology, literature, the arts and medicine. This ignorance leads to a very strong feeling of antisemitism.

If Pakistan is not recognizing Israel for what they consider human rights infractions, then they need to discuss their best friend China’s record of human rights, especially the recent genocide against the Uighurs and people of East Turkmenistan. Again, its quite simple. If Pakistan wants to shrug off the global perception that they are harboring extremism, then they have to join the rest of the world, especially the Muslim nations that are establishing relations with Israel and wake up to the new reality and the new normal. This will also create a balance for Pakistan’s relationship with India and Afghanistan.

I hope in the near future we will hear the good news that Pakistan has agreed to recognize Israel.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/why-pakistan-should-recognize-israel-posthaste-651255