Posted on 09/01/2005 5:44:02 PM PDT by F14 Pilot
Pakistan took a first step toward normalizing relations with Israel on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom meeting his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Kasuri, in Istanbul.
In the public meeting, the ministers discussed ways of promoting bilateral ties, but not establishing full diplomatic relations.
Shalom and Kasuri will meet again in about two weeks at the United Nations General Assembly, where a first meeting could also take place between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
"Pakistan attaches great importance to Israel ending its occupation of Gaza, and has therefore decided to engage Israel," Kasuri said after the meeting.
"It is important that the action taken by Israel and the prime minister not go unreciprocated, and we wanted to show that it is possible to make peace between Muslims and Muslim countries and Israel," Kasuri said. "Pakistan believes in an independent and sovereign State of Israel, with the State of Palestine living in peace alongside it."
In a statement issued after the meeting, Shalom said, "Meetings such as this are a source of great encouragement and hope to the Israeli people." He added that "such contacts also help strengthen the moderates on the Palestinian side."
Following the Istanbul meeting, Shalom said he hoped the meeting would lead to full diplomatic ties with Pakistan, and would make it possible to open new channels of dialogue with the Muslim world.
"I am sure that this meeting will be followed by more meetings in the future," Shalom said. "We hope that finally it will lead to full diplomatic relations with Pakistan, as we would like with all Muslim and Arab countries."
Pakistan's English-language television broadcasts opened yesterday with an announcement by Musharraf that his country would not recognize Israel and would not establish diplomatic relations with it before a Palestinian state was established.
"We will not talk about recognition of Israel until a Palestinian state is established and then we will think about it. We will take people along. This is indirect contact," the president told a meeting of regional leaders in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta. Nonetheless, the fact that Pakistan agreed to have the meeting with Shalom be public held importance.
The meeting was expected to be followed by confidence-building measures, such as a relaxation of Pakistan's ban against travel to Israel, an Israeli official said. Shalom said he and Kasuri had decided to take several diplomatic steps that were still in the initial stages. He refused to elaborate, but suggested that the countries may begin by sending ministerial delegations.
ping
Pakis want future technology/weapon systems from the Israelis.
Islamic taqqiya. It's a ploy..
" Islamic taqqiya. It's a ploy.."
One never really knows for sure. Besides I bet ya a dime Mussaraf thinks all forms of Islam are nothing but donkey droppings.
We "normally" want you dead as a people..but right now we will lie like the rugs we pray on.
"We "normally" want you dead as a people..but right now we will lie like the rugs we pray on."
Wait till someone invents a low cost fully functional flying carpet, then all shit is going to break lose.
Didn't the Zia regime have ties with Israel?
Sept. 1 1994 Morocco establishes low-level diplomatic relations with Israel.
Off the top of my head I'd say no. Zia was pretty radical.
Morocco's rulers never had the same jihadist tone as many other muslim, particularly Arab states.Mush was put into power by the mullahs.
+10 insightful.
The Pakistanis have a poor relationship with the Shia world in general, and are exponents of Saudi style radical Wahhabism. There is a significant rift between them and the Persians.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-22/0509029963100854.htm
They won't recognize Israel!
They're scared of Israels relationship w/ India
"A plan to surround Iran?"
Like indicated further down in thread, their surrounded, and Israel and India are getting in bed. Besides Pakistan from a leadership standpoint has nothing to lose.
"Sept. 1 1994 Morocco establishes low-level diplomatic relations with Israel."
Surely more countries will follow suit as time goes by and normalize relations with Israel. The ebb and flow of diplomacy. Besides Israel has proven itself to be a highly innovative high tech country. Why not do business with them.
Pakistan - Kasuri ‘to meet Israeli minister’ [Israel and Pakistan to establish diplomatic relations]
DAWN.com (Pakistan) | September 1, 2005
Posted on 09/01/2005 1:29:42 AM PDT by HAL9000
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1474657/posts
Israel's Relationship With Pakistan Warms
AP/Yahoo News | 09/01/2005 | STEVE WEIZMAN
Posted on 09/01/2005 7:08:43 PM PDT by Artemis Webb
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475269/posts
Israeli and Pakistan foreign ministers hold first high-level meeting
web.israelinsider.com | September 1, 2005
Posted on 09/02/2005 6:21:36 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475531/posts
Pakistan-Israel Talks Anger Hard-Liners
ap on Yahoo | 9/2/05
Posted on 09/02/2005 11:28:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1476250/posts
New hand(Worsening Israeli ties with Pakistan -boon for India)
http://www.indiareacts.com/archivedebates/nat2.asp?recno=973 | 13-9-2004
Posted on 09/13/2004 5:44:52 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214502/posts
Islamic Republic More Isolated Than Ever BeforeAfter months of secret liaisons between Israeli and Pakistani officials, the two countries came out of the closet in Istanbul Thursday and announced to the world – in the full glare of the television cameras – that they were dating. Several Iranian political analysts said the meeting was a "great blow" for the diplomacy of Tehran... Pakistan on Thursday described the Istanbul meeting between Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom as a "gesture" aimed at helping the Middle East peace process.At the meeting, which Shalom called a "major breakthrough", the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Minister said his country had decided "to engage Israel" diplomatically in recognition of its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
by Safa Haeri
Friday, September 2, 2005
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