Pakistan vs Israel: Khawaja Asif removes ‘curse on humanity’ post after sharp reaction ahead of US-Iran peace talks
A row broke out between Israel and Pakistan after Defense Minister Khawaja Asif posted comments targeting Israel for its military operation in Lebanon, which he later removed amid strong reaction.Israel on Thursday sharply criticized these comments and questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral player in the ongoing regional diplomacy. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office described the comments as “outrageous”, saying, “Pakistan’s Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s destruction is outrageous.”
“This is not a statement that can be tolerated by any government, especially not one that claims to be a neutral arbiter of peace,” it said.The dispute comes at a sensitive moment, when Pakistan is credited with brokering a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran and preparing to host new peace talks in Islamabad. This episode risks complicating those diplomatic efforts.In now-deleted posts, Assif described Israel as “evil” and a “curse to humanity”, and called for “getting rid of European Jews”. He also linked diplomatic efforts to developments on the ground, saying, “While peace talks are going on in Islamabad, genocide is being carried out in Lebanon”.Asif had said, “Innocent civilians are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, the bloodshed continues.” He further said, “I hope and pray that those who have created this cancerous state on Palestinian land will get rid of the European Jews.” [sic] burn in hell.”
Now removed: Khawaja Asif’s X post
Separately, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the comments, calling them a “gross anti-Semitic blood libel” and insisting that Israel will defend itself against those who threaten its existence.Representative Josh Gottheimer, a US representative, also criticized Asif’s remarks, calling it “hateful rhetoric”.