Will Pakistan become the next Muslim-majority nation that Israel will recognize? Probably not, but if Pakistanis were to discuss the issue passionately, they would see that exchanging ambassadors with Jerusalem makes perfect sense.
Decisions by the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to normalize ties with Israel have fueled speculation that Pakistan is preparing to continue the same. In a television interview in November, Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke of being under “pressure” from the US and nameless nations “with whom we have good relations” to recognize Israel. Many commentators assumed he was referring to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
The same month, prominent Pakistani journalists also raised the issue of normalization. Given the sensitivity of the issue and the reluctance of most journalists to risk military unrest, this indicated that powerful Pakistani generals had probably instructed their mouths to float a test balloon.
But Islamabad is unlikely to move forward. In his November interview, Khan said Pakistan recognized Israel that it would depend on a “fair deal” for the Palestinians. In December, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had told the Emirati Foreign Minister that Pakistan “will not and will not be able to establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete solution is found and for the Palestinian question. “
Pakistan’s hostility towards Israel has its roots in the Islamic Republic’s conception of itself as the vanguard of global pan-Islamism. The ostentatious solidarity with the Palestinians has long been a cornerstone of Pakistani foreign policy.