Pakistan in Abraham Accords – beyond angst, fake news, and conspiracy theories
Can Pakistan give up on its long standing two-state policy and establish relations with Israel without a Palestinian state on the horizon?
In Pakistan, the question of relations with Israel is not just a matter of foreign policy — it’s a loaded cultural and ideological flashpoint. Every few months, it re-emerges like clockwork, riding a wave of speculation, hysteria, and often, outright disinformation. The latest bout of frenzy came after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent remarks during an interview with journalist Nadeem Malik. Asif, responding to a question about whether Pakistan might consider relations with Israel, gave a measured, diplomatic response: “we have as much a relation with Abraham [Prophet Ibrahim A.S.] as anyone else,” adding that “Pakistan won’t be a silent spectator but a key player in realignments in the international order.” It was hardly a policy shift, let alone an endorsement of normalization. But for Pakistan's polarized media landscape, this was more than enough fuel.
On one side, pro-normalization voices — often from exiled/expat pro-Israel Pakistani neoliberals — latched on to Asif’s remarks as a signal of an imminent realignment. Opinion columns and social media posts erupted with interpretations that Pakistan was inching closer to joining the Abraham Accords club. The subtext in many of these arguments was clear: Pakistan must shed its ideological baggage, recognize the geopolitical realities of the Middle East, and pursue its national interest by establishing ties with Israel — much like the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.
On the other end of the spectrum, the conspiracy brigade struck with even more vigour. Prominent among them was seasoned television journalist Hamid Mir, who has in recent years leaned into sensationalism with increasing conspiracy theories. Mir has for example warned that Israel might attack Pakistan, even suggesting in his YouTube monologue published from Geo News’ official YouTube channel that Israeli intelligence agency Mossad may have been planning to assassinate Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari. Not to mention that claims that went viral during the Iran-Israel 12-day direct conflict last month. Ranging from how Pakistan was gonna aide Iran by striking Israel to how Pakistan was gonna be Israel’s next target after it was done with Iran, these claims, devoid of any credible sourcing, went viral. Cherry on the top: how Israel was eyeing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
This cyclical pattern — one side reading normalization into diplomatic vagueness, and the other fanning paranoia — is not just unproductive; it’s dangerous.
Let’s be clear: Pakistan has not made any formal move toward recognizing Israel. The state’s position, as reiterated multiple times by the Foreign Office, remains tied to the resolution of the Palestinian issue in accordance with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. More specifically, a two-state solution along the the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital. While Pakistan does not formally recognize Israel, it recognizes Palestine and hosts a Palestinian mission in Islamabad and lends a very vocal diplomatic support on international forums. It merits mentioning here that there have been reports of backchannel contacts and diplomatic interactions between Israel and Pakistan. There even has been a Pakistani delegation of “journalists” and “influencers” visiting Israel in March this year and also in 2023. Since the “journalists” are pro-military establishment in Pakistan — touted by many even as military assets — it doesn’t need a genius to figure out that they had Pakistani military apparatus’ blessings. Otherwise good luck returning to Pakistan and live a normal life after traveling to Israel on a passport that literally forbids its citizens from traveling to Israel through “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel” inscription.
The cozying up and testing the waters aside, Pakistan’s official foreign policy in this regard remains unchanged. It didn’t help that a barrage of Israeli-made drones formed Indian arsenal used against Pakistan in May flare up of military escalation between India and Pakistan — fostering the belief of India and Israel being Pakistan’s eternal foes.
What is particularly troubling in the current discourse is the inability of both ends of the spectrum — pro-Israel relations and contra — to resist manipulating public opinion. For the neoliberals, every ambiguous remark is an opportunity to project a premature ideological victory. For conspiracy theorists, every headline becomes a battle cry to stir nationalist fervor, resentments, and anti-Semitic tropes.
The Abraham Accords changed the dynamics of the Middle East, no doubt. But they also revealed that normalization is a complex, deeply sovereign decision. Bilateral relations, national interests, regional dynamics — given that many Arab states see Iran as a threat too — and pressure from the US have played a role for some Arab states to normalize relations with Israel. For Pakistan, it’s not quite the same since the only nuclear power has enjoyed relatively cordial relations with Iran. This was at display even during Iran-Israel war last month where Pakistan stood up for Iran at all major international forums. This despite the fact that Iran-Pakistan relations are not immune from tensions either. It was only in January 2024 when both countries exchanged tit-for-tat airstrikes.
The real debate that Pakistan should be having is not about whether a minister said something cryptic on TV, but about what a mature, sovereign foreign policy should look like in an increasingly multipolar world. That requires moving beyond knee-jerk reactions, rejecting fake news, and asking harder questions: What does Pakistan gain or lose from normalization? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that with one master stroke of normalizing relations with Israel, Pakistan can deliver a blow to archrical India’s far-right government that has military/security and intelligence cooperation with Israel. But, can Pakistan reconcile its moral stance on Palestine with pragmatic diplomacy? Can Pakistan give up on its long standing two-state policy and establish relations with Israel without a Palestinian state on the horizon — a dilemma similar to that of Saudi Arabia. What about Pakistan’s moral high ground and claim on Kashmir, then?
It remains to be seen — albeit amid the fog of angst, fake news/disinformation, and conspiracy theoties.
The author, a former journalist and editor, is now a Germany-based social worker and commentator on human rights, geopolitics, and Pakistan, and currently serves as editor of Indus.News.