Pakistan Won’t Recognize Israel Until Palestinians Satisfied: foreign minister

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday pushed back against rumors that his country was next in line to recognize Israel and establish relations with it, reiterating his government’s stance that any advancement was contingent on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “We will not and cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent solution to the Palestine issue is found,” Qureshi said after returning from the United Arab Emirates, where he reportedly came under pressure from Emirati and Saudi diplomats to join the Abraham Accords and recognize the Jewish state. Pakistan has in recent years irked its Gulf allies, due to its insistence on remaining neutral in the Yemen crisis and the conflict with Qatar. It has also tweaked Riyadh for not supporting Islamabad in its fight over Kashmir with neighboring India. Last month, Morocco became the fourth Arab country in as many months to announce its intention to normalize its relations with Israel, joining the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.