Israeli President Isaac Herzog has confirmed that he had met with a delegation comprising of Pakistani expats, but he did not reveal the identity of the members. The development comes just days after a delegation comprising of members of the Pakistan-American community visited Israel on a tour which caused stir on social media.
The confirmation was made during his special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting held on May 26 in Davos, Switzerland. “And I must say this was an amazing experience.” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “We haven’t had a group of Pakistani leaders in Israel in such scope.” he added.
🔴 Depuis le Forum économique de @Davos le Président de l'État d'Israël @Isaac_Herzog révèle s'être entretenu avec des délégations du Pakistan 🇵🇰 et d'autres délégations de pays musulmans de cette région. Israël n'entretient aucune relation diplomatique avec le Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/2kGpFuR5L6
— Jonathan Serero (@sererojonathan) May 25, 2022
However, Herzog did not reveal any further details about the identity of the Pakistanis in the delegation. The visit of the Pakistani-American delegation was organized by Sharaka, an Israeli non-government organization (NGO), to promote peace in the Middle East.
watch Sharaka's #Pakistani–#American historic delegation visiting #Israel for the first time in order to promote #peace in the #MiddleEast 🇮🇱https://t.co/tjXdSxDkb9
— Sharaka – شراكة (@sharakango) May 19, 2022
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan does not recognize Israel, and there, does not have diplomatic relations with it. Pakistan has been a staunch supporter of demands for a Palestinian state. Furthermore, Pakistan, after the Abraham Accords, made it clear that it cannot recognize Israel until a “just settlement of the Palestinian issue” is found.
According to some reports, the 15-members of the delegation included Pakistan Television (PTV) anchor, Ahmed Qureshi. However, it is interesting to note that Pakistani passport includes a warning that it is valid for all countries except Israel. Despite the warning, Ahmed Qureshi, was allegedly able to enter and return from Israel on his green passport.
A Pakistani media delegation has visited Israel.The delegation met top Israeli leadership including Israeli President.
— Latif Aliani (@BalochLatif5) May 11, 2022
Ahmed Qurashi from Pakistani PTV state media was also the part of the delegation.visit has been arranged by a Pro-Israel organisation Sharaka.#Pakistan #Iran pic.twitter.com/v4iCoVGpb0
Twitter has also been trending with a picture of a Pakistani passport that has a Israeli visa, which from 5th May 2022 to 8th August 2022, attached to it with a paperclip despite the clear message on the top which states, “This passport is valid for all countries of the world, except Israel.”
Another member of the delegation was reportedly Anila Ali, a dual US national author, who also shared a picture with Herzog following the meeting. “I’m honored to be the first Pakistani & American to present a book, an eyewitness account of the #Pakistan movement written by my father, Qutubuddin Aziz, to the President of Israel, @Isaac_Herzog. The president’s warmth & grace humbled me,” she tweeted.
I’m honored to be the first Pakistani & American to present a book, an eyewitness account of the #Pakistan movement written by my father, Qutubuddin Aziz, to the President of Israel, @Isaac_Herzog. The president’s warmth & grace humbled me. @ammwecofficial @sharakango pic.twitter.com/TY6qe2xRYX
— Anila Ali (@anilaali) May 12, 2022
What do you think about this whole situation? Let us know in the comments below.
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