Just hours before Pakistan was to host the peace talks between the US and Iran, its defence minister, Khawaja Asif, went on a rant on X, calling Israel “a curse for humanity” and “a cancerous state”. Asif’s controversial remarks came as the country sought to maintain a “neutral role” in the conflict and initiated mediation in the Middle East conflict.
Interestingly, Asif pulled down the video as Israel hit back at his statements and questioned its neutrality as it prepares to host the peace summit at Islamabad on Friday.
Asif’s post read: “As peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell.”
His remarks drew backlash, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling them “outrageous” and saying it was “unacceptable” for any government, particularly one presenting itself as a neutral mediator. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar described the comments as “clear antisemitic blood libels.” He added that referring to the Jewish state as a “cancer” amounts to a call for its destruction.
Asif also unnecessarily dragged India into the controversy, remarking in Parliament that the Muslim world must accept that its true and eternal enemies are India and Israel.
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"The Muslim world must accept that its true and eternal enemies are India and Israel, and it must be vigilant to protect the ceasefire and prevent threats to peace. Israel's influence has spread to Europe, the USA, and the Arab world. Pakistan now has a significant opportunity to play a leadership role in combating this," he said.
Pakistan’s ambitious plans to come out as a mediator could make or break its global standing, according to analysts. “Pakistan has publicly invested political capital in mediation; if talks collapse, it risks being seen as overpromising and underdelivering," said Muhammad Faisal, a security analyst at the University of Technology Sydney, told Reuters.