Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

Pakistan’s crystal-clear case against normalizing with Israel

by Junaid S. Ahmad

Dec 02, 2020 - 12:05 am GMT+3
No Image
by Junaid S. Ahmad Dec 02, 2020 12:05 am
RECOMMENDED
Today, women are portrayed as strong, independent individuals capable of achieving anything they set their minds to but since the late '90s, we've seen that this depiction of a modern woman has turned into another kind of cliché in some TV shows, like “the superwoman” archetype. (Illustration by Büşre Şen)

Women on screen: How TV shows redefine modern femininity

Modern-Femininity

Putting aside the relics of past Cold War theatrics, Pakistan has been consistently struggling to advance peace and justice in the world. The struggle though has intensified. Pakistan currently experiences unprecedented pressure from the Gulf monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as the United States, to accept the apartheid state of Israel.

The Pakistani people would never succumb to this pressure. They have always stood in solidarity with the Palestinians and the Kashmiris, and no amount of coercion now is going to diminish their resolve. There is hardly a more pro-Palestinian population than the Pakistanis.

No one should dare propose to Islamabad normalizing ties with a state that militarily occupies, brutalizes and prevents justice to an occupied people.

Israel has effectively destroyed any iota of a "peace process," has expanded settler colonization of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and ruthlessly displaced the Palestinians for decades.

The Gaza Strip has been converted into an "open-air prison," regulating all aspects of the lives of these people who are subject to routine Israeli bombardment and massacres. The "normalization" then is that of deep injustice, sheer violence, ceaseless land theft and constant humiliation.

Indeed, Palestine is a symbol of an ongoing struggle for justice and dignity in a world where oppression of the weak reigns strong. Pakistan cannot bow down to these pressures if it is to maintain the moral authority to stand against any form of oppression, including that of India in Kashmir.

Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, cannot follow the morally bankrupt path of his predecessors. He would be morally accountable to the Pakistani population, as well as to the Palestinians and everyone who has struggled for decades to end this oppression.

Islamabad not only has to take into consideration the wishes of its own people but also the objective interests of the state. There are many compelling reasons as to why Islamabad should stand firm on its stance. There are several Gulf countries, like Qatar and Kuwait, that are already standing strong and are not moving an inch toward recognition.

Even if one puts aside the question of the inherent immorality of Israeli barbarism toward the suffering Palestinians, from the point of view of pure self-interested realpolitik, there is nothing to be gained by Pakistan here.

Giving in to these threats is not going to benefit Pakistan. It is certainly not going to give any leverage to Pakistan with Israel or India; rather, the vice versa will occur. It is laughable to believe that recognizing Israel will engender Tel Aviv to jeopardize its deeply intimate friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appease a groveling Islamabad. The costs for Islamabad, on the other hand, will be incalculable: Pakistan will be at an utter loss in maintaining its legitimate moral high ground on the Kashmir issue.

The pressures to normalize, too, will most likely be short-lived. It is just a matter of standing strong till it dies out. Once Joe Biden takes over as the U.S. president on Jan. 20, the pressure will diminish. Besides, many powerful countries do not support normalization. These include Turkey and Iran.

These threats are mostly hollow or far-exaggerated and lack substance. The power of the axis, consisting of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, particularly the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and Israel, is overstated as evident in their inability to weaken Qatar or defeat the Yemeni resistance.

At the same time, Pakistan has diplomatic and security levers against the UAE and Saudi Arabia that it can use strategically to cripple the not-so-subtle configuration of protective military power Islamabad has in the Gulf.

Even if we take some of these possible threats to Pakistan at face value and assume that Pakistani workers will be expelled from Saudi Arabia and potentially the UAE, the loss of remittances is likely to be harmful to the Pakistan economy in the short-term but also be harmful to the UAE and Saudi Arabia – since it will take at least one to two years to replace these workers.

It is to be noted that the percentage of these workers is quite high. In the medium- and the long-run, the return of these workers to Pakistan could reverse the brain drain, reduce reliance on remittances and create opportunities within the country itself.

This could potentially create a policy window for greater reform. Pakistan can use this moment of humiliating pressure and threats by ostensibly "brotherly Muslim countries" as a catalyst to reset Pakistan's foreign, domestic and socioeconomic relations, as well as rebuild its economic structure.

The Pakistani state needs to unequivocally proclaim that recognition of the current Israeli apartheid state is simply off the table. Khan needs to mobilize the people and take the National Assembly into confidence about the intense pressures on Islamabad to submit to this act of treachery.

The military high command should also be informed and persuaded of the dangers to Pakistan at this critical juncture by being on the wrong side of history once again – when in fact we thought we had finally escaped those archaic and reactionary winds that blew us in that direction in the previous decades of Pakistan's short history as a nation.

Defending Palestine's rights in the current conjuncture means resisting the Palestinization of Kashmir and defending Kashmir's rights means preventing Pakistan from becoming Balkanized like Palestine.

Moral imperatives, religious obligation, Islamic solidarity and national interests are all aligned to reject any move to recognize Tel Aviv. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of not only the Palestinians but the country of Pakistan, its people, its future – and would also be a rejection of our faith.

*Research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) in Istanbul and director of the Center for Muslim World Studies in Islamabad

About the author
*Lecturer on Islam and Decolonial Thought and Director of the Center for Global Studies at the University of Management and Technology, Pakistan
RECOMMENDED
Today, women are portrayed as strong, independent individuals capable of achieving anything they set their minds to but since the late '90s, we've seen that this depiction of a modern woman has turned into another kind of cliché in some TV shows, like “the superwoman” archetype. (Illustration by Büşre Şen)

Women on screen: How TV shows redefine modern femininity

Modern-Femininity
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    pakistan-israel relations palestinian cause saudi arabia united arab emirates tel aviv normalization kashmir dispute imran khan
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Nadia Kahf holds her gavel after being appointed as a judge, in Passaic County Superior Court, New Jersey, U.S., March 23, 2023. (Twitter Photo)

    Muslim woman becomes 1st headscarf-wearing judge in US

    MUSLIMS-IN-US
    President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (R) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson attend a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 8, 2022. (EPA Photo)

    Türkiye says Swedish NATO membership still on table

    türkiye-nato-relations

    US fails to account for downed PKK helicopter in Iraq

    HELICOPTER-CRASH

    Booming demand prompts Türkiye to pledge more homegrown Togg cars

    automotive-industry
    No Image
    Japan hit by 7.4 magnitude quake, leaving thousands without power
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021