The Israeli English newspaper Jerusalem Post has confirmed the claims of the Israeli newspaper Times of Israel, and said that former prime minister Imran Khan has made strong political rhetoric against Israel in public, but inside he is trying to normalize relations with Israel.
It writes, “Pakistan is an interesting case in point. Although it has maintained a policy position that was pro-Palestinian for a long time, recent years have seen an occasional sign of its desire to improve relations with Israel.”
The Jerusalem Post’s Opinion reads: “Former prime minister Imran Khan – despite his strong rhetoric against Israeli policies – hinted at Pakistan needing to forge its own foreign policy path. This was particularly pertinent at a time when the rest of the Muslim world began to normalize ties with Israel on the basis of self-interest. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party winning 93 National Assembly seats in the country’s recent election his influence – or perhaps the emergence of another like-minded and equally pragmatic leader – could bring opportunities for reevaluating the extent to which Pakistan can afford to reconsider its historic hostility toward Israel, particularly in the face of its ongoing deep economic crises.”
“For Pakistan, normalization with Israel would bring about significant economic benefits, including technological support in agriculture, cybersecurity, and defense, not to mention potential financial investment, among other things. In 2022 alone, trade between Israel and the UAE jumped 124% to $2.59 billion year-on-year exhibiting the potential,” the article reads:
“A more diversified foreign policy on Pakistan’s part could also bring with it strategic benefits as it navigates its own complex relationships with both India and Afghanistan. But for that, a strong resistance from within its own military establishment, which has long held back full-blown normalization with Israel, would need to change. A change in leadership would most probably also be needed for any resolution to move forward, and figures like Khan could very well be central in changing both public opinion and military policy alongside of course, the continuous evolution of regional dynamics,” the paper writes.
“The return of Donald Trump to the White House in November might very well hasten the process. The Trump administration had previously been committed to expanding the Abraham Accords to as many countries as possible, with the help of both military and financial incentives from his administration. A United States government led by Trump may therefore see states like Pakistan and even Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, encouraged with the help of diplomatic benefits or economic inducements,” it writes.
