Pakistani delegation tours Israel and visits Hostages Square in rare visit from hostile country

Unknown to most Israelis, a delegation from Pakistan visited Israel last week, at the invitation of the Sharaka organization, aiming to build bridges between the two countries.

Pakistan is technically hostile towards Israel and is one of several Muslim nations that officially forbid their citizens to visit the Jewish state. Written inside the passports of the Pakistani citizens is the phrase, “Valid in all nations of the world except Israel.” 

However, this restriction did not stop the delegation from accepting the invitation of Sharaka to visit Israel to see the country firsthand. 

Sharaka is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established by citizens of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.

It exists to improve connections between the three nations, strengthening peace, trust, and cooperation (sharaka in Arabic). The organization focuses on what it calls “people-to-people diplomacy” in order to improve relations in the Middle East. 

Sharaka has also recently been working to strengthen ties between Israel and South Asian countries, including Pakistan. However, due to the high level of anti-Israel sentiment in Pakistan, and because travel between the countries is officially forbidden, the delegation’s passports were not stamped upon arrival in Israel. 

During the visit, the Pakistani group toured historical and cultural centers, including the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Center and the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem.

They visited communities in southern Israel where the Hamas invasion and massacre took place on Oct. 7, 2023, including Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Sderot and the site of the Nova Festival in Kibbutz Re'im.

The delegation also traveled to Tel Aviv to Hostages Square, a public plaza dedicated to raising awareness and supporting families of the Israeli hostages.

One delegation member, Qaisar Abbas, a journalist who writes for several international media outlets, was not afraid to have his identity exposed.

During the visit, he told Israel Hayom, "As journalists, we have no boundaries in pursuing information and truth from around the globe. It's not about Israel specifically but about the entire world. This quest for knowledge brought us here.” 

Abbas shared his perspective that only Israelis and Palestinians can ultimately resolve the conflict between their two peoples.

He also expressed his hope that Pakistan and Israel could one day establish diplomatic relations while acknowledging that Pakistan has set a clear condition for that step: a two-state solution. 

The visit of the Pakistani delegation coincided with the terror attack in Pakistan, where a Pakistani passenger train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar was hijacked by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terror group. 

Abbas stated that such events highlight the universal nature of human suffering caused by terrorism.

“As a Pakistani, I feel this pain, just as I feel your pain and Palestinian suffering,” he remarked. 

Another journalist in the delegation, Shabbir Khan, described Israel as “remarkably welcoming.” 

“Nobody showed suspicion toward us,” he told Israel Hayom. “Last night I wandered through Tel Aviv, and sat in cafés – it felt like being in Karachi. The atmosphere was completely unhostile.” 

He said he came for the opportunity to understand how Israel views the Muslim world.

He also anticipates formal relations between Israel and Pakistan, saying, “I estimate within 10-20 years, or perhaps sooner, relations will normalize. Particularly if Saudi Arabia formalizes an agreement with Israel in the next two or three years, Pakistan will almost certainly follow.” 

Dan Feferman, one of Sharaka’s co-chairs, told Israel Hayom, “We're excited to bring another delegation of senior journalists, academics, and prominent civil society leaders from Pakistan to Israel as part of our antisemitism and Holocaust education program. This initiative advances our broader agenda promoting people-to-people diplomacy and fostering peace between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world.” 

In June 2022, Sharaka organized a previous visit from a Pakistani delegation, which included Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, which received heavy criticism in Pakistan.

The tourists met with the Israeli president Isaac Herzog and posted footage from visits to the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.