No One in Pakistan Should Think of Recognizing Israel: Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Why did the United States apologize to Qatar? Was it for the massacre of Palestinians? The two-state solution is tantamount to recognizing Israel.
Shahbaz Sharif must reflect on whether he is retreating from Pakistan’s fundamental stance – Press Conference
Lahore (Web News)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that no one in Pakistan should even think about recognizing Israel. He questioned: Why did the United States apologize to Qatar? Was it for the massacre of Palestinians? He further stated that the two-state solution is essentially equivalent to recognizing Israel. In such a solution, Palestinians and Hamas must be included, otherwise no decision will be acceptable.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at Jamia Ashrafia Lahore. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that Israel is an illegitimate state and will never be accepted. Today, U.S. President Trump is acting as if he owns the world’s problems, trying to impose his will through force. This is neither moral nor political. Until the Palestinian issue is decided by the Palestinians themselves, no solution can be imposed on them by force.
He said that the two-state solution cannot be thrust upon the Palestinians. The U.S. must not pursue extremism and politics of coercion. According to him, the U.S. has deliberately excluded Hamas from negotiations, whereas Hamas is a principal party to the conflict—without Hamas, the Palestinian issue cannot be resolved.
He pointed out that if one compares the statement issued at the Corps Commanders’ Conference on October 17 under the chairmanship of Field Marshal Asim Munir with the statement delivered in New York, one can clearly see the contrast. Likewise, there is a big difference between Shahbaz Sharif’s speech at the UN General Assembly and his subsequent tweet. Such weak positions, he warned, will lead to the defeat of the Arab world. Israel has always stabbed peace in the back.
He further said that the current narrative of Trump and Netanyahu may be a plan for Israel’s expansion, but it cannot be a formula for the Palestinian population. Even if a two-state solution is proposed, it must guarantee a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.
He said that political leaders who talk about regionalism and provincialism are violating the constitution. Shahbaz Sharif, he warned, must reflect carefully on whether he is retreating from Pakistan’s long-standing principled position.
He remarked that on the issue of Palestine, a Pakistan-Saudi defense arrangement cannot be effective. A Nobel Prize for peace is impossible; perhaps only a “Nobel Prize for war” could be given to Trump.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that in his personal assessment, the rulers are obsessed with the India question—fearing that America might lean entirely toward India. He recalled that, in the context of the Charter of Democracy, the 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament. But, he lamented, whether political parties or the ruling party, none are giving the issue of Palestine the significance it deserves.
No one in Pakistan should even think about recognizing Israel. He said that whether a government completes its tenure or not depends on the establishment—if relations remain good, the term will be completed, otherwise not. And now Imran Khan must be released.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that at present the most important question before the whole world is the issue of Palestine. Regarding Palestine, the founder of Pakistan had declared that the creation of Israel was like a dagger thrust into the heart of the Arab world. Israel is an illegitimate state, and we will never accept it.
He said that if Sardar Hussain could be declared a war criminal and executed on the basis of some incidents, then what about the one hundred thousand Palestinians who were martyred—those who died of hunger, lack of medicines, and diseases, their number is in the hundreds of thousands. The fact that the International Court of Justice declared Sardar Hussain a criminal and yet he was allowed to address the United Nations is regrettable. America must not pursue extremism and politics of force.
He said that there is a clear difference between what Shahbaz Sharif said in his General Assembly speech and what he tweeted. With such a weak stance, the Arab world will suffer defeat. He said that what was done to the Muslims of Bosnia—despite that, hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed and millions displaced—shows that daggers are always thrust behind the back of peace.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that today the narrative of Trump and Netanyahu could be a plan for Israeli expansion, but it cannot be a formula for the Palestinian population. Even if someone proposes a two-state solution, it must guarantee a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.
He said that the rulers lack the ability to govern. Political leaders who speak on regionalism and provincialism are deviating from the constitution. He said Shahbaz Sharif must reflect on whether he is retreating from Pakistan’s principled stance.
He reiterated that what happened in Bosnia—hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed and millions displaced—proved again that a dagger is driven into the back of peace. He said: Why was an apology sought from Qatar? Did America apologize, or did it apologize for the massacre of Palestinians? An apology is not enough for the people of Palestine. Efforts to impose a solution against the will of the Palestinians have been ongoing for a long time.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that history and facts are being distorted by claiming that Palestinians sold their lands to Israel. My personal assessment is that the rulers are obsessed with India—that America may not tilt completely towards India.
He said that in the context of the Charter of Democracy, the 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament. Whether political parties or ruling parties, none are giving the issue of Palestine the importance it deserves. Whether the government completes its term depends on the establishment, and Imran Khan must be released.