Posted on 09/01/2005 1:29:42 AM PDT by HAL9000
ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Pakistan and Israel are all set to have the first overt high-level political contact on Thursday. In what is seen as a major diplomatic development the foreign ministers of the two countries will meet in Istanbul, informed sources told Dawn on Wednesday.The meeting between Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom is taking place in response to Israel’s keenness to establish contact with Pakistan, it is learnt.
However, there is no official word on the crucial meeting yet. Foreign Office spokesman was not available for comments when Dawn tried to contact him on Wednesday.
According to diplomatic sources, the meeting would focus on the developments in the Middle East peace process. They say the meeting ought not to be read as Pakistan’s recognition of Israel but seen as the opening of dialogue between the two countries which have no direct political disputes.
HOW IT HAPPENED: It is learnt that covert contacts between representatives of the Jewish state and Pakistan had been going on for several months through diplomatic and informal channels.
However, the decisive factor for the first open political contact between the two countries was the Israeli pullout from Gaza last month which in Pakistan is viewed as a positive move and has been welcomed by the government.
Apparently, the Israeli government had approached Pakistan several times in the last one year to make the contacts public. The response from Islamabad each time was that it would do so at an ‘appropriate’ time. After the Israeli pullout from Gaza, Pakistan signalled to the Israelis that it was ‘now ready’ for an overt contact.
The two sides then decided to have the meeting on a neutral territory. Pakistan took the Turkish leadership into confidence and suggested Istanbul as the venue for the groundbreaking meeting. Turkey gave the green light and Israel also agreed to hold the first meeting there. It was decided not to make the meeting public till it had taken place.
Turkey which has excellent relations with Pakistan is among the several Muslim countries, including Egypt and Jordan, that have full diplomatic ties with Israel.
Successive Pakistani governments, including those led by Gen Zia, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, also had contact with Israel.
On Tuesday, President Gen Pervez Musharraf telephoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and informed him about the proposed meeting. The Palestinian president’s response was ‘very positive’ and he welcomed the initiative, it is learnt. It is believed President Musharraf also told his Palestinian counterpart that he would soon be sending a delegation to Gaza and Al Quds.
President Abbas during his visit to Pakistan in May had requested President Musharraf to send a delegation to Palestine. Later, the Foreign Office declared that in principle Pakistan had agreed to it. Subsequently, on several occasions the FO spokesman when asked about the timing of the visit as well as the size and composition of the delegation he had indicated that it was in the works.
The opening of Pakistan-Israel communication channels does not come out of the blue. It follows President Musharraf’s recent decision to address the American Jewish Congress in New York in September. He will be the first Muslim leader to do so.
About two years back President Musharraf had initiated a public debate on the controversial question of Israel’s recognition. The outcome of the debate led to the policy decision that the recognition of Israel would be linked to the total withdrawal of Israel from occupied Arab territories and establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Added to these factors are the strategic dimension and Pakistan’s national security considerations and the influence of the Jewish lobby and Israel in American policies.
Political analysts say each government in Pakistan had established covert contacts with the state of Israel.
However, with the Israeli pullout from Gaza the present government decided to go public with it.—Q.A.
ALARM - Israel and Pakistan will establish diplomatic relations
JERUSALEM - the chiefs of diplomacy Israeli and Pakistani must meet Thursday in Istanbul to finalize an establishing agreement of the diplomatic relations between their countries, indicated sources to the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
ping
Its a setback for Indian diplomacy.....but Isreal is free to choose with whom they wish to have diplomatic relations. Not a problem for India as long as they dont support Pakistan on Kashmir issue, sell weapons to Pakistan or try to play on both sides (the bipartisan game) like the US.
After the first high-level meeting between Israel and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom expressed hope on Thursday that Israel and Pakistan would announce the forming of diplomatic ties during the September 14 59th UN General Assembly in New York.
"We still have to finalize several issues before a formal announcement, issues I would rather not elaborate on at this time," Shalom told Israel Radio after meeting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri in Istanbul.
Shawkat Sultan, spokesman for Pakistani president Musharraf, stated that it was too early to speak of diplomatic relations. This will happen after a sovereign Palestinian state is established and after consultations are held with other Muslim countries.
Sultan said that Musharraf was advised by the congress to speak when in New York and he was happy to accept the invitation and that he believed that the best way to reach understanding was by meeting and talking.
Shalom continued to hail the move as a "breakthrough, the first-ever meeting," and continued, "We hope to form diplomatic ties. Musharref initiated [the talks] and Sharon welcomed the idea and asked me to go. We met yesterday for dinner and there was a very good atmosphere. Today's meeting was also very good."
The foreign minister called Pakistan's diplomatic act "a brave move," and pointed out that Pakistan, as the second largest Muslim nation, "had major influence."
"I told them that our relations with India were not at the expense of relations with other countries like Pakistan," Shalom emphasized.
"This is a good time, the positive atmosphere could lead to ties with other Muslim nations. Israel's international image is excellent." Shalom declared, and added, "I said when I entered this position that I wanted to improve relations not only with Europe, but also with the Arab world."
"Relations with Jordan and Egypt are much better," Shalom pointed out. "Their ambassadors are back, as is the case with Mauritania, Turkey, and now Pakistan."
According to Shalom, "Meetings such as this are a source of great encouragement and hope to the Israeli people - that through our efforts we are able to open new channels of dialogue, and build understanding between us and all the peoples of the world, including the Muslim nations."
The foreign minister added that "such contacts also help strengthen the moderates on the Palestinian side - those who recognize that dialogue and acceptance must always be preferred to hatred, terror and extremism."
"It is no coincidence that this meeting took place here in Turkey, this great Muslim democracy, and Israel's long-standing friend.
Israel's relations with Turkey are proof that Israel can enjoy good and mutually beneficial relations with our Muslim neighbors," he concluded.
Kasuri called the meeting "a gesture to underscore the importance that we in Pakistan attach to Israel ending its occupation of Gaza."
"It is important that Israel is encouraged to continue to pursue the course of peace" and end its occupation, he said.
"The meeting today does not mean recognition," Kasuri added. "That stage will come following progress toward the solution of the Palestinian problem."
The meeting took place in a hotel in Istanbul, which was chosen as a neutral venue. Turkey is an overwhelmingly Muslim country that has good relations with Israel.
Pakistan was encouraged to set up the meeting following Israel's evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, which was completed last week, Israeli officials said.
Musharraf, a key US ally in the Indian subcontinent, has been gradually moving toward conciliation with Israel, despite the influence of a powerful Islamic radical party in Pakistan.
The Pakistani president accepted an invitation to address an interfaith conference this month organized by the Council for World Jewry while he is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
The Arabic-language television station al-Jazeera has quoted Musharraf as calling Sharon a "great soldier and courageous leader" after announcing his plan to end Israel's occupation of Gaza. Pakistan says Israel must abandon all other territory it captured in the 1967 Mideast war and clear the way for an independent Palestinian state.
A spokesman for the Al-Jamaia-Islamiya Muslim organization in Islamabad told Al-Jazeera that this was a "black day for the Pakistani people" and that they would not support President Musharraf in his move to establish diplomatic ties with Israel.
Sporadic articles in the Pakistani press also have appeared in recent years urging a reassessment of Pakistan's refusal to consider diplomatic relations with Israel.
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D-E-A-D-E-R.
There have been four attempts already with the Israel excuse nowhere to be found.
However the Israelis may have played a role in saving his life:
"However, realizing that al Qaeda was gunning for him and would try again, the Pakistani ruler was prepared. DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s counter-terror sources report that in addition to the American jamming equipment, the president provided himself with a second gadget designed in Israel especially for detonating explosive belts carried by suicidal terrorists. This gadget is still being developed for the American army in Iraq. Instead of stopping a timer to gain one minute for escape, this system detonates the bomb belt on the terrorist’s body."
http://www.debka.com/article_print.php?aid=752
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