Pakistan came into existence in 1947 on the basis of the two-nation theory, then the neighboring country India attacked us and occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which we have not been able to liberate so far.
On the other hand, Israel came into existence by making Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, the establishment of which Pakistan has been rejecting under its principled stance, however, international pressure is increasing on Pakistan.
This global pressure wants to convince us that somehow the existence of Israel should be recognized. Recognizing Israel can bring many benefits to Pakistan which are of great importance to its economy.
However, Pakistan’s position cannot be changed just because of the economy. Recently, while clarifying Pakistan’s position, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jelani said that Pakistan will take any decision keeping in mind the interests of itself and the Palestinian people.
Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, referring to the efforts related to relations with Saudi Arabia, said that 6 or 7 countries will recognize Israel as soon as Saudi Arabia recognizes Israel, but he deliberately did not name these countries.
Making Islam the basis of its society and culture, Pakistan is called an Islamic Republic, so it means that we are following the Islamic Sharia. The main reason for not recognizing Israel is its occupation of Jerusalem, which is the first Qibla of Muslims.
Before the Kaaba, Muslims used to pray facing towards Bait-ul-Maqdis, and today we pray towards Makkah, where the Kaaba is the first and holiest house of Allah on earth.
At the diplomatic level, recognizing Israel can give Pakistan access to Israel’s advanced technology-based products and Pakistan can work better than ever for regional peace and stability.
The Pakistani nation, which has been fighting against terrorism for decades, can get rid of it. In order to pave the way for the solution of the Kashmir and Palestine issue, one-to-one talks can be held with the leadership of Israel as well as India.
Pakistan is facing a major crisis in the energy sector while Israel has done a lot of work on renewable energy sources and this level of cooperation between the two countries can bring significant benefits to Pakistan.
The role of Pak-Israel cooperation can be important to counter the growing extremism and Islamophobia at the global level. At the position Pakistan stands on the world stage, recognizing Israel will convince other powers, including the West, who are pro-Israel, to support Pakistan.
Pak-Israel relations can be further promoted through exchanges of cultural and educational delegations. Mutual cooperation in other sectors including security, education and health can be useful for both countries, etc.
Experts in international affairs know very well that if Pakistan recognizes Israel, it can get more benefits, but Pakistan’s problem is not to get benefits, but by not recognizing Israel, we actually show solidarity with the Palestinians. We want to make it clear to Israel that Pakistan is not in favor of giving up its national thought and philosophy by recognizing Israel for financial gain, no matter how much we have to pay for it.
