Should Pakistan recognise Israel?
Dr Shabir Choudhry June 2003
President Mushharaf’s visit to Camp David has
started more than one controversy, and his alleged ‘sell out’ on Kashmir and on
other issues, including doing a deal on the recognition of Israel.
His invitation to Camp David was important and
will have a far-reaching impact on the politics of South Asia and the Middle
East. It is believed that President Musharraf, if he plays his cards correctly
and wisely, will play a major role in the years to come.
We people of Kashmir and people of Pakistan
might not like everything he is asked to do, and everything he has pledged to
do, but he and his close colleagues think they know better and that they are
doing everything in the best interest of Pakistan and Muslims.
As a writer and a student of history, with
strong feelings on the issue of Kashmir, I do not agree with many things he is
doing, especially related to Kashmir; nor I agree with the Kashmir policy of
any of his predecessors. But as far as his policy on the issue of Israel and
controlling and containing the threat of extremism and fanaticism is concerned,
he has my full backing.
Many people give in to emotional feelings when
they talk of Kashmir and Israel. And any decision clouded by emotional feelings
could have serious consequences; therefore, it is prudent for all concerned to
look at the ground realities and take decisions with political maturity and
demands of the 21st century in mind.
On the issue of recognition of Israel, I wrote the
following article about three years ago, and I think, under the present debate,
it still has some valid points; hence, I am presenting the article as it was
written at that time.
Dr Shabir Choudhry
Careful study of relationships between various
countries indicates one solid rule in international relations:
A country’s foreign policy is determined by its national interest.
The above rule is applied everywhere in the
world, and this is why there are no permanent friends or foes in international
politics. Today’s friends could well be tomorrow’s adversaries.
When one analyses Pakistan’s foreign policy, it
becomes clear that Pakistan’s foreign policy does not follow the above
internationally recognised rule. One notes that Pakistan’s foreign policy is
too slow to change to meet the requirements of constantly changing world
politics, hence Pakistan’s national interest is compromised. This is because
Pakistan’s foreign policy is dominated by emotions, traditions, and too much
reliance on ‘friends’, not appreciating the above rule, that there are no
permanent friends in world politics.
The aim of this short article is not to analyse
the entire foreign policy of Pakistan but to explain that Pakistan needs to
make certain much-needed changes to its foreign policy. Nation states can
choose friends but cannot choose their neighbours. So, it is imperative to have
a friendly and cordial relationship with them. I don’t need to explain what
Pakistan has lost as a result of a bad relationship with India, Russia (USSR)
and Afghanistan. Pakistan must have good relations with its neighbours in order
to reap the full benefits.
Pakistan’s foreign policy is full of blunders, and
one such blunder is to win the animosity of Israel and, worse still, to
perpetuate it. And without doubt, Pakistan has lost more from this. Today’s
world politics is controlled and directed by international capitalism, and we
all know that Jews dominate all these institutions. Is it prudent to continue
this policy when Pakistan is at the mercy of these institutions? Some
statistics to support the above point:
· Pakistan relies very much on American support in every walk of life. There are 83 top brains who control and direct American political, social, economic and military policies, and 45 of them are Jews. More than half of the remaining 38 have direct influence over them. The remaining have indirect influence, or they could be cajoled to adopt a particular line.
· There are 600 multi-national companies, which control the International Capitalism. Jews own three hundred of these, whereas Jews control 420 of them. The remaining multi-nationals could be persuaded to take a specific line on certain matters.
Many would say Pakistan’s stand is a principled one- in accordance with the Islamic ideology. The fact is that Pakistan took this stand in support of Palestinians and Arabs who also opposed the emergence of Israel, and the plight of the Palestinians.
If the stand was against the unfair treatment and cruelty to Palestinians then why didn't Pakistan take a stand against Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon when they also butchered the Palestinians? The reason is that these countries were Muslim and ‘friendly’ to Pakistan. (In the case of Jordan, Pakistan helped to ‘butcher’ the Palestinians in 1970). An Islamic principle demands that Muslims who are suffering must be helped and supported, and Pakistan should have helped Palestinians, not the Jordanian government. If the Islamic principle was to be held, then Pakistan should have had a different policy towards America, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran, India, Afghanistan, Russia, etc.
If this principle is relaxed because
perpetrators are either Muslim or too powerful, it is not prudent to stand up
for this principle. Then why does Pakistan have to stand up for this principle
in support of Arabs and Palestinians when they themselves have abandoned it?
These countries have abandoned it because they think it is in their national
interest to do so. Egypt did that despite the plight of the other neighbours
and the Palestinians.
Pakistan supported them and continued to do so
even though it is not in the national interest to continue with this policy
anymore. Pakistan wholeheartedly supported the Arabs and the Palestinians
against Israel and won Israel’s animosity, and has lost considerably in every
walk of life. Pakistan had a similar situation with India – wars and war-like
situations throughout its short history. Have the Arabs and the Palestinians
reciprocated by supporting Pakistan wholeheartedly? Arabs and the Palestinians
are friendlier to India than Pakistan. India has better political and economic
relationships with them. It doesn’t even occur to them that Pakistan can also
provide the same or less same services currently provided by India.
Some Arabs and Palestinians have become friends
of Israel a long time ago, and Pakistanis who went out of their way to support
them appear to be ‘idiots’. They have adopted a foreign policy to suit their
national interests, and Pakistan continues to support the policy, which they
have abandoned and get the animosity of Israel. Is there any logic in that?
Moreover, Pakistan has a ‘principled’ stand on
Jammu and Kashmir. What these countries have done to support Pakistan on the Jammu
and Kashmir dispute.
1. They all have political, diplomatic and good
economic links with India.
2. At times, these countries pay lip service in
support of Pakistan without endangering their political, diplomatic and
economic interests. Is it not possible for Pakistan to learn from this?
What should Pakistan do
1. Support them, but at the same time have
diplomatic, trade and maybe military links with Israel, and see how Pakistani
interests can be protected and enhanced.
2. By doing this, Pakistan would benefit
immensely, at least Israeli opposition to Pakistan would be neutralised. And
this itself will go a long way to protect the Pakistani national interest
3. As it is clear, this act would not be in the
interest of the Pakistan government, but one should see what is in the long-term
interest of Pakistan, rather than the government.
4. By becoming friendly, Pakistan may have more
chances of influencing on the policy of Palestine and other issues.
No government in the past had the courage,
necessary control or the will to take such a decision. It seems that this
government has the courage and nerve to take unpopular decisions. It has full
control over the levers of power and can make the necessary decisions. If this
government, for whatever reason, did not take many much-needed decisions, then
it would be years before any other government could even dare to think about it.
The national interest of Pakistan demands that
the following two matters be resolved as soon as possible:
· Resolution of the Kashmir dispute, and
· Recognition of Israel
The writer is the Chairman of the JKLF Diplomatic
Committee, and author of many books and booklets on Kashmir.
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