Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared during a local media interview on Saturday that Israel represents an existential threat to all Islamic nations, advocating for the formation of a consolidated military alliance to counter the country.
“In the context of Israel, all Muslim countries must unite. I have no doubt about this," Asif asserted during the broadcast.
“Israel is a product of the Balfour Declaration, which was established in the 1940s as an illegitimate state, and it could pose a direct threat to any of the countries in the region," he elaborated, citing the 1917 British policy document supporting a Jewish national homeland in then-Palestine, which laid the groundwork for Israel's statehood three decades later.
Asif clarified that his deep-seated opposition to the nation will remain unchanged regardless of the outcome of Israel’s upcoming parliamentary elections on October 27, even if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is removed from office.
“No matter who comes to power in Jerusalem - whether it’s [former Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett or any other leader - the differences are only marginal," Asif stated.
“Their attitude towards the Palestinians and their anti-Islamic mindset will not disappear. They continue to incite Muslim countries against each other," he charged, emphasizing that “as long as the Palestinian issue is not permanently resolved, the Islamic world must stand against them as one."
The defense minister's sharp rhetoric came one day after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey ratified a trilateral defense treaty establishing that an attack directed at any single signatory would be treated as an attack on all three nations.
The security pact was finalized during a summit bringing together Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a joint announcement, the three governments framed the alliance as an effort to enhance mutual deterrence, broaden military collaboration, and preserve regional security.
Asif previously directed intense criticism toward Israel in April, calling the country “evil and a curse for humanity" and accusing its military of committing genocidal acts in Lebanon.
"Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran, and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell," he published in a social media message at the time.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar forcefully rejected the statement, maintaining that "Israel views these blatant antisemitic blood libels very gravely from a government claiming to 'mediate peace.'"
Sa'ar emphasized that "calling the Jewish state 'cancerous' is effectively calling for its annihilation."
"Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," Sa'ar pledged.
Simultaneously, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem issued an official statement condemning the rhetoric.
"Pakistan Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace."
Pakistan maintains a formal policy backing a two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict and refuses official diplomatic recognition of Israel pending the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Despite the absence of formal ties, shared geopolitical considerations have fueled years of persistent speculation regarding potential diplomatic contacts. Reports surfaced in 2022 indicating that an unofficial delegation of Pakistani citizens had traveled to Israel.