How hope for normalization of Israel-Pakistan relations was dashed

There was a glimmer of hope for normalization of relations between Israel and Pakistan. But after the start of the conflict in Gaza, extreme anti-Israelism has emerged among the people of the country. In the meantime, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi has visited Pakistan. Hamza Azhar Salam, a Pakistani journalist based in London, has tried to answer the questions of how possible normalization of Pakistan-Israel relations is possible in this situation, and whether Islamabad will hold Tehran's hand over Western and Gulf allies.

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi arrived in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 22. His visit surprised many. There are many parties on this list who did not want Raisi to actually make the trip. Many in Pakistan were surprised.

Pakistan and Iran are neighbors. The two countries have had peaceful relations for a long time. But recently, Tehran and Islamabad have faced each other. At the beginning of this year, the two countries carried out reciprocal airstrikes in each other's border areas. This creates an unprecedented situation.

On January 17, Tehran launched its first air attack on Pakistan. The country said that the attack was carried out targeting the position of Jaish al-Adl, an anti-Iranian armed group located in Pakistan. Islamabad claims that two children were killed and three others injured in the attack. Later, Pakistan launched counter-air strikes targeting Baloch separatists in Iran. 9 people were killed.

Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Iran were at a standstill for a short time after this incident. Later it became normal again. A few months later, the Iranian president visited Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Before his visit, an important road in Islamabad has also been named as 'Iran Avenue'.

A question arises in such a situation. Recently, there has been a rumor that Pakistan government is thinking of normalizing relations with Israel. If this rumor is true, what effect will Raisi's visit to Pakistan have on him?

Pakistan has close relations with Saudi Arabia. Both countries are US allies. Islamabad is desperate to get big investments from oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

2.5 million Pakistanis also work in Saudi Arabia. Their remittances play an important role in sustaining Pakistan's shaky economy.

On the other hand, Islamabad also wants to increase relations with Tehran. It aims to maintain strategic balance in the region. Another goal is to increase economic relations with the country. Ibrahim Raisi hopes trade between Pakistan and Iran will increase to billions of dollars a year. In addition, at least 10 to 15 percent of Pakistan's population is Shia. A large part of them go to Iran every year to perform religious rituals.

There is another similarity between Pakistan and Iran. That is, in the current situation, both countries are critics of Israel. After Raisi's visit to Pakistan, a joint statement called on the UN Security Council to take action against Israel. The goal is to stop Israel's misadventure and its illegal activities against its neighbors.

Earlier this month, Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria. In connection with this attack, the Security Council has been called upon in the Iran-Pakistan joint statement. However, the fact that Iran later fired more than three hundred missiles and drones at Israel in response was not mentioned in the statement.

Even if Islamabad did not take into consideration the issue of improving relations with Tehran, still the strong possibility of normalization of Pakistan-Israel relations, there is not even a drop of it in the current situation. Israel's indiscriminate attack on Gaza is one of the reasons for this. The people of Pakistan have never looked at Israel with such hatred.

A few examples will make the matter clearer. People set fire to a KFC restaurant in Pakistan's Mirpur city due to Israel-hatred. They believed the organization supported Israel. Not only Pakistan, many Muslim-majority countries in the world have been boycotting the products of many Western companies for the same reason.

In recent years, however, the Pakistan-Israel relationship has been promisingly improving. High-level visits were also made by journalists and academics from the two countries. Now the picture has completely changed. Pakistanis now hate Israel so much that no government in Pakistan can survive the public outrage if it mentions recognizing the country.

Keeping these problems in mind, Pakistan government may not want to take any positive decision regarding Israel. Because, many in the government believe, recognition of Israel currently does more harm than good. Another thing is that any action by Pakistan regarding Israel will be indicated by the activities of the country's 'big brother' Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia also suspended the process of normalizing relations with Israel after the attack on Gaza. However, Riyadh did not say that they will not move towards this process in the future. However, it indicated that the normalization of relations would depend on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

When Israel claims victory in Gaza, the country will become even more hated in the Muslim world, including Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan's friendship with Iran also has some problems. Many policymakers who are considered involved in Pakistan's strategic decision-making perceive Tehran as unreliable as a friend.