The hundreds of visitors at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv last Tuesday would have been surprised to learn that among them was a delegation from one of the world's most strictly anti-Israel nations – Pakistan. This country of 223 million people maintains such a hostile stance toward Israel that its citizens' passports explicitly state they are "valid in all countries except Israel." Though exploratory contacts have occurred periodically following the Oslo Accords, the 2005 Disengagement, and the Abraham Accords, official relations remain nonexistent.
In 2020, Israel Hayom revealed a visit by a senior advisor to Pakistan's prime minister, ahead of an international military exercise involving both countries. Nevertheless, the ten Pakistani journalists and researchers (including two women) who arrived in Israel last Monday carried passports declaring their invalidity for travel to Israel. Despite this, they bravely accepted an invitation from "Sharaka," an organization working to strengthen relations between Israel and South Asian countries. To protect the delegation members, their passports were not stamped, and publication of their visit was delayed until they returned safely home.
To be frank, until meeting them personally after being informed of their arrival a week earlier, I doubted they would come – mainly that they would speak with an Israeli journalist or allow themselves to be photographed with faces and names visible. Yet they did precisely that. Although Pakistan – the only Muslim nation possessing nuclear weapons – has maintained a strict boycott against Israel since both countries' founding, the group visited accompanied by a Bangladeshi journalist based in the US.
Now that they've safely returned home, we can reveal their visit. Throughout their week-long stay, they learned about Israeli and Jewish history while following the standard educational itinerary: Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Sderot, and the Nova festival attack site; Yad Vashem, the Knesset, the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount; plus various Tel Aviv locations, including Hostage Square where I met them. Two delegation members agreed to be identified.
Qaisar Abbas, a journalist who contributes to numerous international media outlets and edits the Islamabad Telegraph, fully revealed his identity with his name, photo, and video. When asked if he feared repercussions, he responded: "As journalists, we have no boundaries in pursuing information and truth from around the globe. It's not about Israel specifically but about the entire world. This quest for knowledge brought us here."
Q: Won't people in Pakistan be angry when they discover you visited Israel?
Abbas: "Well, I don't think people will be angry because this is my personal decision to visit Israel. I believe the public has nothing to do with it. The visit has been very informative – we've learned the Israeli perspective after previously only knowing the Palestinian narrative. I'm pleased to see some Muslim countries attempting to establish contact with Israelis. If Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) can bring Trump and Putin to the negotiating table, then surely some Muslim leaders can do the same with Palestinians and Israelis. I believe only Israelis and Palestinians can transform this conflict into friendship – something I realized shortly after arriving. A two-state solution is possible, but my focus remains that only Israelis and Palestinians know how to end this conflict."
Q: You came here with impressive courage. Could I, as an Israeli, now visit Pakistan and return safely?
Abbas: "Unfortunately, Pakistan and Israel – two countries founded on ideological bases, haven't yet formed diplomatic relations, though we wish it would happen. Pakistan has a clear condition: if a two-state solution is implemented, then possibilities definitely exist. But only Palestinians and Israelis know how to resolve this conflict. The Palestinian issue remains the sole obstacle preventing Pakistan from establishing diplomatic contact with Israel."
Coinciding with the Pakistani delegation's arrival in Israel, a major terrorist incident unfolded in their homeland. Baloch separatists hijacked a passenger train, demanding the release of imprisoned comrades. Our meeting took place while this confrontation was still unfolding.
Q: We're at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Currently, 59 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, many believed alive. How does this situation affect you?
Abbas: "It causes pain to every human being. As we speak, reports from Pakistan indicate the PLA terrorist organization has taken dozens of train passengers hostage. As a Pakistani, I feel this pain, just as I feel your pain and Palestinian suffering. This requires resolution, and only – I emphasize only – Israelis and Palestinians can end this conflict and bring peace. Regarding your question, I feel the pain of Pakistani hostages held by the Political Liberation Army just as I feel for Israeli hostages and Palestinian hostages. Such situations universally cause suffering – I can genuinely empathize with your pain."
Another delegation member who agreed to be interviewed but declined to have his picture taken is senior journalist Shabbir Khan, a former Washington Post correspondent in Pakistan. His partial anonymity perhaps allowed him to speak more candidly about potential future Israel-Pakistan relations.
Describing his impressions, Khan stated: "This country is remarkably welcoming. Nobody showed suspicion toward us. Last night I wandered through Tel Aviv, and sat in cafés – it felt like being in Karachi. The atmosphere was completely unhostile."
Q: From a Pakistani perspective, Israel is controversial. What motivated your decision to visit?
Khan: "I've worked as a journalist for 29 years. I understand how to develop stories – something impossible from a distance. This opportunity allowed me to personally witness what people experience here and how they perceive Muslim world attitudes toward them. I'm collecting information to publish on my digital news platform, possibly including a video showing that people suffer here just as we suffer in Pakistan."
Q: Doesn't acknowledging your Israel visit create danger for you as a Pakistani citizen?
Khan: "That's difficult to predict. But knowing how to tell balanced stories is the journalist's art. I'll present all perspectives based on what I've gathered here."
Q: Could official Israel-Pakistan relations develop in the future?
Khan: "Senior officials in my country privately favor Israel and desire normalization. The main obstacle comes from Islamist extremists – though few in number, they're vocal, threatening, and sometimes murderous. Nevertheless, I estimate within 10-20 years, or perhaps sooner, relations will normalize. Particularly if Saudi Arabia formalizes an agreement with Israel in the next two or three years, Pakistan will almost certainly follow."
As noted, the Sharaka organization, dedicated to strengthening Israel's Asian relationships, initiated and organized this delegation. Dan Feferman, one of the organization's co-chairs, stated: "We're excited to bring another delegation of senior journalists, academics, and prominent civil society leaders from Pakistan to Israel as part of our antisemitism and Holocaust education program. This initiative advances our broader agenda promoting people-to-people diplomacy and fostering peace between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world."
His partner Amit Deri, who founded Sharaka, added: "Our organization emerged from the Abraham Accords vision. Since then, we've promoted regional dialogue and facilitated meaningful conversations about peace and relations between Pakistan and Israel through such delegation exchanges. We've observed a growing interest in understanding Israeli perspectives, leading us to bring Pakistani delegations to several countries, including Poland and Germany, for Holocaust education and antisemitism awareness programs."
