Pakistan rejects recognising Israel:Islamabad says ‘ideology is non-negotiable’ as Trump asks Muslim nations to normalise ties

Pakistan has firmly rejected any move to establish ties with Israel or recognise it as a state. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan cannot compromise on its core ideology. The statement comes after US President Donald Trump reportedly told Pakistan that if it wants to be part of the US–Iran peace process, it would need to join the Abraham Accords and recognise Israel. Following this, Pakistan made it clear it is not willing to accept the demand. Asif also criticised Israel, saying, “How can we sit with those whose word cannot be trusted even for a day.” He also referred to Pakistan’s passport policy, noting that it is perhaps the only country where passports clearly state they are not valid for travel to Israel. He stressed that Pakistan’s stance is clear and will not change. Trump has urged several Muslim countries to improve relations with Israel Donald Trump on Monday urged several Muslim and Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel. He linked the appeal to potential peace talks with Iran. During this, he also included Pakistan among the countries the US hopes will recognise Israel. Trump’s statement comes at a time when the US is trying to build new strategic partnerships in the Middle East. Trump has previously described the Abraham Accords as one of his major diplomatic achievements. This is not the first time Pakistan has faced pressure to recognise Israel. In 2021, then Prime Minister Imran Khan also said that Pakistan was being pressured by the US and some other countries to normalise ties with Israel. Abraham Accords remain difficult for Pakistan For Pakistan, joining the Abraham Accords is a highly sensitive and politically difficult issue. Pakistan has long positioned itself as a supporter of Palestine. The issue of Palestine is deeply connected with both emotional and religious sentiments among the general public. Experts believe Pakistan would not want to damage its relations with the US, but it also cannot ignore its domestic political realities. Pakistan has never recognised Israel in the past 78 years. Its official position has been that it will not recognise Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established based on pre-1967 borders. For this reason, the issue of normalising ties with Israel has always been linked to domestic politics in Pakistan, and any softening of stance is seen as a political risk for any government. Pakistan also gave clarification on participation in Gaza Board of Peace In January this year, Pakistan participated in the Gaza Board of Peace. At that time too, discussions began within Pakistan about whether it was gradually moving towards the Abraham Accords. After this, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that its participation in the Gaza Board of Peace had no connection with the Abraham Accords. The ministry said there had been no change in Pakistan’s policy and that it would not become part of the agreement. Pakistan’s challenge is also increasing because several Gulf countries are now expanding ties with Israel under US pressure. These include important countries like Saudi Arabia. Pakistan’s economy, which is struggling with an economic crisis, is heavily dependent on financial support from Gulf countries. It also receives economic assistance and military cooperation from there. In such a situation, outright rejection of Trump’s demand is considered a risky move for Pakistan. Trump aims to build US-backed alliance According to Axios, Trump’s main strategic effort is to create a new US-backed alliance in West Asia after the Iran conflict ends, bringing Israel and major Arab countries together. For decades, Arab countries followed a policy of not recognising Israel until the Palestine issue was resolved. However, after Trump’s efforts, the Abraham Accords in 2020 broke that long-standing policy. Under this agreement, countries like the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco established official relations with Israel. ​