Deciding on Israel recognition: Student speakers want national interest considered

PESHAWAR: Participants of a daylong webinar on Thursday stated that recognition of Israel was the most sensitive and serious issue and it should be discussed in line with the national interests and priorities.

The webinar was arranged by Mosaic Journal of the Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar.

Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof Dr Jahanzeb Khan, was the keynote speaker on the occasion.

Chairman of the Department Dr Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Chairman, Department of Political Science Dr Abdur Rauf and Chairman, Philosophy Department Shuja Khan also spoke on the occasion. Most of the speakers and participants of the event were the students of different departments of the university.

Jehanzeb Khan said that it was his first event that he attended and listened to the student speakers.

He also commented on the sensitivity of the topic, saying these topics should be discussed keeping in view the national priorities. He urged the students to keep arranging such events in future.

Dr Khurshid Ahmad of the Department of International Relations said the issue of recognition of Israel by Pakistan was a sensitive one.

It is piled in the list of contentious discourses Pakistan is currently engaged with, such as the issues of Kashmir and relations of Pakistan with major powers and Arab countries. He said a realistic outlook on the issue was indispensable to the formulation of any narrative around it.

Laiba Aziz, a student of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, referred to the Israel-Palestine conflict in the light of a quote by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: “We cannot ever accept Israel as long as Palestinians are not given their rights and there is no just settlement.”

Azhar Zeeshan, a graduate of the Department of International Relations, proposed a two-state solution – a Palestine for the Arabs and Israel for the Jews.

Presenting a paradoxical dilemma to the audience, he stated that if Pakistan recognises Israel, the Kashmir cause will have to be negated subsequently.

Amina Sadaat, an MPhil scholar of Department of International Relations, discussed the roles of US and Gulf countries in propelling the recognition blitz.

As per her analysis, this was a domino-effect launched by the US and propelled by the Gulf countries in the interests of their politico-economic gains.

Baneen Ali Mir, a student of Journalism and Mass Communication, explained the stance of Pakistani media on the issue over the years.