Pakistan maintains anti-Israel stance amid Trump’s Abraham Accords push
Pak Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said they would not join any agreement that conflicts with its “fundamental ideologies”, reiterating that the country will not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he was not in favour of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump asked countries involved in the peace talks with Iran to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which deal with establishing diplomatic, economic, and security ties between Israel and Arab nations.
"Personally, I don’t think we should join any such accord which clashes with our fundamental ideologies,” Asif said during an interview on a talk show with Samaa TV on Monday night (May 25).
Among the negotiators, the UAE and Bahrain are already members of the Accords, and Trump expects Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, and Jordan to sign up.
Pak’s long-standing position
Pakistan's defence minister also talked about his country's long-standing position to not accept Israel until the Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital is established. “We have a very clear stance that it is not acceptable to us,” he said.
Pakistan has never formally recognised Israel since its creation in 1947–48, a stance rooted in founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s opposition to the UN-backed partition of Palestine.
The minister also highlighted the question of credibility. “How will you sit with those people whose word cannot be trusted for even a single day?” he asked.
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He also mentioned that Pakistan is the only country whose passport does not even include Israel’s name and specifies that it is not valid for travel to Israel.
Asif is among the politicians who vehemently oppose any idea of normalisation of ties with the Jewish state. Last month, he called Israel a “curse for humanity”, while accusing it of carrying out genocide in the region.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had categorically ruled out joining the Abraham Accords.
“We are not ready to recognise Israel until the two-state solution to the Palestine conflict is accepted,” Dar had said, adding that Pakistan’s seven-decade-old policy remained unchanged.
Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords, launched in 2020 during Trump’s first term as president, were aimed at normalising diplomatic, economic, and security ties between Israel and Arab nations. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the first signatories, followed later by Morocco and Sudan.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday (May 25), Trump said it should be “mandatory” for countries to join the accords, arguing that broader participation could bring “true Power, Strength, and Peace to the Middle East for the first time in 5,000 years.”
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His remarks came after discussions with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain amid efforts to address the ongoing US-Iran tensions.
“It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would otherwise be,” Trump wrote.
Clarification over Gaza peace role
In January this year, Pakistan also clarified that its participation in Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative for a Gaza ceasefire had no connection with the Abraham Accords.
Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi had dismissed speculation of any policy shift, saying Pakistan “will not become a party to the Abraham Accord”.
(With agency inputs)