Islamabad/Tel Aviv: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted strongly to a statement by Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif, in which he called Israel “evil” and a “curse for humanity”.
Even as “peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon”, Asif posted on X.
“Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated,” he wrote.
“I hope and pray that the people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European Jews [sic] burn in hell,” Asif added.
Netanyahu reacted by saying that this call for Israel’s annihilation is “outrageous”, as reported by NDTV.
“This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace,” his office posted on X.
The Pakistani leadership was also rebuked by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar. He then statement as “blatant antisemitic blood libels” and warned that labelling Israel as “cancerous” effectively calls for its destruction. Israel would “defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction”, he added.
This decision by Israel to respond publicly represents a notable departure from past practice, as Tel Aviv has historically avoided direct engagement with Pakistan in the absence of diplomatic relations.
Reuven Azar, Israel’s envoy to India, had told NDTV on Thursday that Tel Aviv does not consider Pakistan a credible intermediary in peace talks.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel on March 2, following which Lebanon got drawn into the war. On Wednesday, hundreds were reported to be killed in Israel’s heaviest strike on Lebanon.
Netanyahu, while supporting the two-week ceasefire in the war against Iran, said the truce does not apply to Lebanon. This contradicted an announcement by Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had claimed that that the ceasefire extended “everywhere”, including Lebanon.
On Thursday, Netanyahu ordered his ministers to seek direct talks with Lebanon focused on disarming Hezbollah. A US state department official has said that Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington next week.
Tehran, meanwhile, has threatened to suspend Saturday’s interaction with the US in Islamabad unless Israel halts its military operations in Lebanon, as reported by Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.
This raises concerns about the potential derailment of diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Middle East.
