Israel will be the main loser in new Pakistan because the departure of former president Pervez Musharraf will put his much-criticized efforts to recognize Israel on the backburner, analysts believe.
"There were very thin chances for recognition of Israel by Pakistan even if Musharraf would have stayed in power because of heavy public sentiments," Mansoor Alam, a former ambassador and a senior diplomatic analyst, told IslamOnline.net.
Musharraf had reportedly asked the Foreign Office in early 2007 to prepare a plan for the recognition of Israel but it did not materialize due to the political turmoil started in March 2007.
| Is Israel Trying To Save Musharraf? |
Musharraf whipped up a storm of local diatribe in January of this year over a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Paris.
Musharraf and the now coma-stricken former hawkish Israeli premier Ariel Sharon shook hands on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2005.
He was the first Pakistani leader invited to address the influential World Jewish Congress in the US in 2005.
After that historic event, his then foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri met his Israeli counterpart Silvon Shalom in Turkey.
Musharraf sparked a wave of criticism after saying in 2006 his government would have to recognize Israel after an independent Palestinian state was established.
Pakistan doesn’t not recognize Israel due to its occupation of Palestine.
The Jerusalem Post has quoted Israeli sources as saying that Musharraf's resignation "quelled any faint remaining hopes of improving relations between his country and Israel in the near future."
Isaac Kfir, an expert on Pakistan at Israel's Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, faulted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for rejecting Musharraf's offer to join the peacekeeping forces along the Lebanese border.
"This was a major loss," he said, describing the Musharraf offer as a subtle first step toward relations with Israel.
Far-fetched
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| "Recognizing Israel means to give an easy access to its spies to sneak into our nuclear program," warns Hussain |
Alam, who served as ambassador to Russia, Egypt, UAE, Mexico and other countries, believes that a majority of the parties in the ruling coalition will not even think about the most controversial idea floated by Musharraf.
"Nawaz Sharif’s position on this issue is very clear," he said referring to the two-time former premier and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
"He will never support any such effort."
Alam recalls a statement issued by Begum Abida Hussein, a former ambassador to the US during Sharif’s 1990-1993 tenure, proposing diplomatic ties with Israel.
"Her proposal was rudely rejected by the then government, and she had to take back her statement."
He believes the same goes for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
"Though Benazir Bhutto (the slain prime minister and PPP leader) had issued some statements in favor of diplomatic ties with Israel a few years back, sensing the public resistance she did not emphasize on that," he notes.
"Even if the PPP wants that, it cannot go against the public opinion, which is heavily against any such ties."
Dr Shameem Akhtar, a former head of the International Relations Department, University of Karachi, agrees.
"If the PPP tows such efforts, it would be the last nail in its coffin," he agues.
"Political parties cannot go against the wishes of people, and the people of Pakistan will never accept any such idea."
Imtiaz Hussain, a Peshawar-based security analyst, rejects the contention that Pakistan has no direct confrontation with Israel.
"This is an open secret that Israel is one of the worst opponent of Pakistan’s nuclear program. And it is also true that Israel has been engaged in conspiracies against our nuclear program," he said.
"Recognizing Israel means to give an easy access to its spies to sneak into our nuclear program."
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