Pakistan and Israel-Friends or Foes?
Kashmirwatch.com
04 Sep 2005
By Minhaj Qidwai
Since President Musharraf has come into power, and then took a U-turn on Pakistan's policy in the wake of September 11, Pakistan has become the front line state for almost all the major American activities. Although, Pakistan had been a strong American ally in the past, and history has proven that the Americans cannot be trusted, still with a blind eye President Musharraf is pursuing a policy suited to Americans. The country is witnessing a drastic change in the educational set up, closing of Islamic education in the Madrassas, providing bases for the American army, and so on and so forth. At the same time we saw initially low level attempts towards the recognition of Israel and now full-blown contacts through a third party by its Foreign Minister in Turkey. President Musharraf has a vision for Pakistan as that of Ata Turk of Turkey. But there is a difference between Ata Turk's Turkey and Musharraf's Pakistan. It is like comparing apples and oranges. When Ata Turk took his country towards secularization his was a defeated country, with low morale, but the positive thing was they were Turks. When President Musharraf took power Pakistan was also a defeated by corruption from its own people, it had low morale due to the situation, but at the same time Pakistan was not a one nation as that of Turks. Pakistan is suffering from a syndrome, with several symptoms due to multi-factorial etiology. With this background, the process of secularization, and the efforts undertaken by President Musharraf in Pakistan may not succeed. If we take Pakistan towards a secular state then the two-nation theory is defeated and the entire basis of existence of Pakistan is jeopardized. Although, President Musharraf is trying to bring modernization and economic stability, but this is a pseudo effort. It is based on the external forces, that are making Pakistan a hostage country. What Pakistan needs, is its internal stability first, and then only the efforts of a Pakistani leader may succeed. While the internal stability is endangered due to various factors like feudalism, corruption, lack of accountability, bureaucracy, and level of education, at the same time the external instability is due to the vulnerability of both the East and the West border with thinning of forces at the borders as they are deployed at the Western border.
Considering the above factors, President Musharraf is keen on accepting Israel especially after the September 11, incident took place, and he had to bring a shift in Pakistan's Afghan policy. It is especially in the last two years in America, when Pakistan's last ambassador in Washington, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, was in regular contact with representative Jewish organizations, a practice that has been continued, under instructions from Islamabad, by the current ambassador, Jehangir Karamat. It may be noted that although Pakistan's efforts might have been to appease Americans but the major Jewish organizations' first task is to watch the interests of American Jewry, they also act as strong lobbying groups in Congress and with the administration for the state of Israel. Therefore, is Pakistani government so naïve that it cannot understand that acceptance by Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf next month's of an address to the American Jewish Congress in New York is like an unsaid declaration of accepting Israel?
The American Jewish Congress announced that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has accepted an invitation from the American Jewish Congress to speak about his campaign of "enlightened moderation" in Islam. The meeting with the American Jewish community will take place soon after a United Nations summit in New York from Sept 14-16. President Pervez Musharraf had been harping on the need for Muslims to embrace modernity with openness and tolerance," the Chairman of the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry, Jack Rosen, said in a Memo circulated to the top leaders of the Jewish community. "He's not going to say anything new here," Rosen said. "What's unique here is the constituency that he's going to be speaking to -- a constituency that the Muslim world has been demonizing." But why the Muslim world has demonized Israel, was not a part of the memo?
By accepting this invitation President Musharraf have indicated that he has tested the domestic Pakistani waters over the Israel issue, and that the ties could follow an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. That he felt after partial withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. President Musharraf however, may not be able to answer, if the partial withdrawal of Israel from Gaza is an indicative of its complete withdrawal from the occupied territories? Certainly not. President Musharraf's strategy calls on Muslims to shun violence and extremism in favor of "socioeconomic uplift," and urges the West to resolve all political disputes justly and with an eye toward the economic betterment of the Muslim world. This is true, but is the world, especially the Jews, and even the Muslims are prepared to embrace his doctrine?
What is the motivating factor do so? Is it in the interest of Pakistan? Let us try to find some answers.
What is the motivating factor do so?
The Jews have long been looking for a person who can sing their song among the Islamic community. Egyptian President Anwar Saadat started this and met his fate. President Musharraf is also a survival of several attempts on his life. Through this address the Jews hope that "President Musharraf can set a trend so that Muslims and the people living in Western society — people of all faiths — start having a positive dialogue with each other instead of this endless confrontation." This is what the Jews hope, did President Musharraf took into consideration what the Muslims will get in return? This address may be a personal milestone for President Musharraf, but this will take Pakistan one-step more towards recognition of Israel. Although dialogue is always recommended but not at a level and from a head of a country who has ideological differences from the other. Mr. President, this is an insult to the Palestinians who have lost their lives and were evicted from their homeland by the Israelis. So the motivating factor will be his own uplifting as a modern Ata Turk. But at what cost?
Is it in the interest of Pakistan?
What General Mushrraf is doing is it in Pakistan's interest? Pakistan and Israel are the only two countries on the globe formed on the basis of religion. Pakistan, on the basis of Islam, and Israel on the basis of Judaism. Pakistan was created in 1947, and Israel in 1948. However, the forces responsible for the creation of the countries are same. Israel, was carved out of Palestine, therefore, it could not gain acceptance among most of the Arabs, and Muslim nations. Furthermore, it also occupied Arab land, and used force to target the Palestinians who retaliated against the Israeli atrocities. Pakistan, a Muslim country has gone always with the plea that it will go as per the wishes of Muslim Ummah. But General Mushrraf's proposed address appears to be a direction and approval from American President Bush. From here onwards, Pakistan will also be pushed to recognize Israel; and the plea being that the relationship of Israel with Palestine is improving due to its withdrawal from Gaza, and other Arab and Muslim countries have also accepted Israel. Time will tell the level improvement of relationship between Israel and Palestine; which may not harness in near future, due to a simple reason that, if someone occupies your home, and evicts you; then to this action there will be an equal and opposite reaction. Israel will not withdraw from the Arab land, and the Arabs have to realize it. Withdrawal from Gaza is a Charade for the rulers like President Musharraf. Does it serve Pakistan's interests? Let us do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. This will assist us in deciding what is in the best interest of the country, rather than do it on someone's behest.
Strengths:
- Economic Benefits: More American, and European Support.
o More market available for business
o More monetary benefits
o More development
o More Jobs
Question: Do we have alternate routes to counter this strength. Yes, we need
to focus on French, Japan, Chinese, Russian and German markets.
Weaknesses:
- Accepting Israel, will create turmoil in the country. We see ourselves as the guardian of Islamic faith. Since the Israelis are the occupants of our first Qibla, and the land of Palestine, it will not be in country's interest.
- Accepting Israel will mean increased Mossad's activities in the country.
We are already overburdened with the presence of FBI, CIA, RAW, KHAD, KGB, etc.
Question: Do we want Mossad to be overtly present in our country (Its operations have been covert in past)? No.
- Accepting Israel, would mean opening of our strategic assets that may be destroyed eventually.
Question: What is the difference between Israel, and India? Israel is more lethal than India. Indians might think twice before bombing our strategic assets, Israel would not, as it is not directly linked with Pakistan, and does not share the same eastern values and culture as Indians have. So to choose among evils, India is a better evil.
Opportunities:
- Accepting Israel, may make us more acceptable to Americans and Britishers.
- More aid from IMF/World Bank
Question: Are we looking for short-term goals or long term? These opportunities might bring laurels for us in near future. But, not in long run.
Threats:
- Internal instability;
- External instability from our neighbors (India, Afghanistan, and Iran)
- Increased Mossad activity;
- Loss of strategic assets; and
- Many more.
To summarize, and keeping the above SWOT analysis in consideration, the address of President Musharraf to the American Jewish Congress is an ill-timed naïve activity to gain the popularity with the Americans and Jews, and those focused on destruction of Pakistan and its nuclear program. Stretching further, currently, acceptance of Israel, is not in the strategic interests of Pakistan. Pakistan's priority is its own internal stability, and economic growth. Once it is stable and stand as a one nation, and Israel leaves all the occupied land; only then the question of recognition of Israel should arise for Pakistan. Currently, Pakistan is swamped into its own problems, and cannot afford to enter into an issue that is not one of its priorities but that of the Americans and the Jews who have eyes on Pakistan's nuclear program.
Qidwai, Minhaj A. is a medical doctor, with Masters in Health and Business Administration from USA. He is a medico-marketing consultant in North America.
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