Author: Dr. Ramzy Baroud
Affiliation: Independent Journalist, Editor of ‘The Palestine Chronicle’
Organization/Publisher: South Asia
Date/Place: February 2021
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1000
Link: http://www.southasia.com.pk/2021/01/27/saying-no-to-israel/
Keywords: Pakistan, Injustice, Israel
Brief:
The author calls on the Pakistani government not to be dragged behind the US’ plans, as has happened previously with countries such as Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan, which have fallen into the “solution” of normalization. Normalization with Israel would not only betray the historical legacy between Palestine and Pakistan, but it would also support the Israeli occupation’s apartheid policy it practices against the Palestinians. The author affirms the bonds between Palestine and Pakistan, a relationship that goes back a long time and includes: Pakistan’s defense of the Palestinian territories in 1948 during the Palestinian Nakba, participation of the Pakistani Air Force in repelling the Israeli aggression in 1967, and the proactive stances taken by Pakistan in support of Palestine and its causes. The writer considers the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation as a struggle against any kind of military occupation in the world, including Kashmir. In his opinion, any gains that Pakistan would obtain in return for normalization would not be guaranteed gains, as has been proven by the Egyptian and Jordanian examples. Accordingly, Pakistan must support initiatives to force Israel to respect international law, end its military occupation of Palestine and to dismantle its apartheid regime. This will certainly earn Pakistan the respect and leadership it deserves as a global Asian and Islamic power.
By: Taqwa Abu Kmeil, CIGA Research Assistant
