World>Terrorism & Security
posted September, 2005 at 11:30 a.m.

Pakistan, Israel hold breakthrough public talks

But Musharraf says no official recognition of Israel until after creation of Palestinian state.

By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com

In a diplomatic breakthrough that was a direct result of Israel's decision to leave Gaza, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel met publicly for the first time Thursday. The Associated Press reports that the meeting, held in Istanbul, Turkey, "was expected to be followed by confidence building measures, such as a relaxation of Pakistan's ban against travel to the Jewish state, an Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject."

The BBC reports that the talks followed " a series of informal contacts."

The meeting comes a few days after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf accepted an invitation to address the American Jewish Congress while he is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. In 2003 Mr. Musharraf also called for a national debate on whether his country should recognize Israel.


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Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, at a press conference after the meeting, called it a " major breakthrough."

"I think there was a very major breakthrough today in the relations between us and Pakistan," Shalom told Israel Radio. "Of course, we ultimately want diplomatic relations, but we decided that from now on, the relations will be open, the relations will be good," he said. "Pakistan, as the second largest Muslim country after Indonesia, undoubtedly has value of great importance, has central value."

Mr. Shalom said the talks with Pakistan would have no effect on "Israel's good relations with India." The Internet edition of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that the two countries had been talking about a public meeting for several months, but that Pakistan wanted to wait until the right moment.

Apparently, the Israeli government had approached Pakistan several times in the last one year to make the contacts public. The response from Islamabad each time was that it would do so at an 'appropriate' time. After the Israeli pullout from Gaza, Pakistan signalled to the Israelis that it was 'now ready' for an overt contact. The two sides then decided to have the meeting on a neutral territory. Pakistan took the Turkish leadership into confidence and suggested Istanbul as the venue for the groundbreaking meeting. Turkey gave the green light and Israel also agreed to hold the first meeting there. It was decided not to make the meeting public till it had taken place.
Turkey which has excellent relations with Pakistan is among the several Muslim countries, including Egypt and Jordan, that have full diplomatic ties with Israel.

The Mail and Guardian of South Africa reports that Pakistan will send a delegation to "al-Quds – Jerusalem – 'where it will be welcomed by Palestinians and Israelis,' but gave no further details." Ha'aretz reports that not everyone in Pakistan was pleased with the developments. Pakistan's main Islamist opposition party denounced the meeting and "said it would hang out black flags in a day of protest against the move."

"The Pakistani nation, openly and collectively, condemns this unfortunate meeting, which the foreign minister has held with a representative of the Jewish occupier of Palestinian land," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, an opposition coalition of six Islamic parties.
"We will oppose, with full force, any step that is taken toward recognising Israel," he said.

Perhaps anticipating opposition at home, Musharraf said that Pakistan would not officially recognize Israel until after the creation of a Palestinian state.

Speaking after a meeting between Israeli and Pakistani foreign ministers in Istanbul, Maj.-Gen. Shaukat Sultan told Israel Radio: "(Musharraf) said yes, we can have diplomatic relations after the sovereign state of Palestine ... comes into being and after Pakistan has its consultations with the other Muslim countries."

One Pakistani diplomat said the first goal was "the end the taboo" of discussing relations with Israel.

The BBC reports on perhaps another reason for the discussions. Israel and India have had diplomatic ties since 1992, and since they have developed 'closer bilaterial relations' particular in the area of defense cooperation. In March of last year, Israel said it would sell India three early warning radar systems. At the time, analysts said the sale "had concerned" Pakistan.

Columnist Herb Keinon of the Jerusalem Post, agrees with the idea that whatever Musharraf wants to do with Israel, it will in some way connect to his main concern, India.

The close ties Israel and India have developed over the last decade specifically the close military relationship, with Israel a key arms supplier to New Delhi is obviously not to Pakistan s liking. Pakistan is interested in cooling down this relationship, and one possible way to do this would be by developing ties with Israel.

Mr. Keinon writes that India has probably already let Israel know if its problems with the Pakistan meeting.

Reuters reports that whatever the motivation behind Pakistan's actions, by opening talks with Israel, "the step should help improve the Muslim nation's image in the West and may make it easier for it to buy US weapons.

Meanwhile, Jordan is denying media reports that King Abdullah II will visit Israel next week. Israeli sources had reported that Abdullah, who last visited Israel in 2000, had agreed in principle to visit again.