If you thought there was no way to top the news about the normalization of ties between Israel and four Arab states – the U.A.E., Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco – well, this just in from Pakistan may do it: a leading political and religious figure in the country has just announced that Israel belongs solely to the Jews. It was never meant for the “Palestinians.” The amazing report is here: “Pakistani cleric: We should recognize Israel,” bIsrael Hayom, December 20, 2020:
Dean Shmuel Elmas,Pakistani political and religious leader Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani announced Saturday, Dec. 20, at a conference, that he supports the normalization of his country with Israel, according to a report by British-Pakistani writer Noor Dahri.
“This is an international issue, I support recognition of Israel,” Sherani said. “Educated Muslims need to understand that the Quran and history prove to us that the Land of Israel belongs only to the Jews. King David built the house of God in Jerusalem for the Israelis and not for the Palestinians.”
The honorific “Maulana” means that Sherani is a learned Muslim cleric. He is also a formidable figure in Pakistani politics, having served in Pakistan’s National Assembly from 1988 to 2018, save from 1999-2002, and from 2007 to 2013. In other words, he’s served at the national level for more than 20 years. But he’s never made such a remarkable statement, recognizing that “the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews”: It is “not for the Palestinians.”
One cannot help but wonder if this declaration was sua sponte, an expression of Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani’s deeply held beliefs, uttered without consulting anyone else, and expressing his desire to push forward the case for Pakistan to normalize ties with the Jewish state. Of course, other Muslim states have normalized relations with Israel, but all of them took care to formulaicly express their hope for the establishment of a Palestinian state. This Pakistani cleric has in breathtaking fashion stated uncompromisingly the case for the Jewish claim to the Land of Israel that the ghost of Zev Jabotinsky could not have bettered.
And the timing was right: Sherani, like tens of millions of other Pakistanis, had just seen a fourth, Arab state, Morocco, agree to normalize ties with Israel. After all, the U.A.E., Bahrain, and Sudan had done so, previously, without the sky falling, or riots in the streets, though there was the expected spittle-flecked fury from the raging rais in Ramallah. And each state had been rewarded by Washington and Jerusalem in tangible and important ways. Washington has agreed to the sale of F-35s for the Emirates, has removed the Sudan from a list of terrorist supporters to be sanctioned, and has recognized the sovereignty of Morocco over the contested Western Sahara.
Meanwhile, Israel has been pulling out all the stops to reward its new Arab interlocutors. Israeli investors and entrepreneurs have already been making dozens of deals with the Emiratis on trade, technology, and tourism; Emirati and Bahraini businessmen have at the same time been scouting for investment opportunities in Israel, while Israelis are doing the same in the U.A.E. and Bahrain. The Jewish state has promised to help the Sudanese agricultural sector, especially in such fields as drip irrigation, desalination, wastewater management, and producing water from air. It has been discussing the sharing of defense technology with the Emirates. There is a suggestion that the nearly one million Israelis with a connection to Morocco, as descendants of Moroccan Jews, could serve as guides and conduits for Israeli investments in that country. Sherani chose to declare his views at a moment when the prospects for normalization of ties between Israel and Arab (and Muslim) states has never been more promising.
It may also be that Sherani had some discussion with the office of Prime Minister Imran Khan about the remarks about Israel he intended to make. Perhaps Sherani was encouraged to publicly state his views on Israel as a trial balloon, to see how the Pakistani public reacted. If it reacts badly, if threats are made against him, that may put the kibosh on any attempt by Prime Minister Imran Khan to continue the covert talks with Israelis about the possibility of normalizing ties with Israel, that for months have been reported, and for months Khan has denied were taking place. But if this respected Muslim leader – whose entire education has been in madrasas, not secular schools — is not sent to Coventry by his colleagues, political or religious, nor his effigy burned by a Pakistani mob, his statement may embolden the Prime Minister to continue these talks.
After all, Imran Khan can hardly be unaware of the benefits accruing to Pakistan if It normalizes ties with Israel. First, his country would gain points with the Biden Administration, which might translate into more financial aid, which Pakistan desperately needs. Second, and much more important, normalization of ties would please the Saudi Crown Prince, who in the past has made his displeasure with Khan evident (as when MBS forced Khan to cancel his attendance at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, where a rival organization to the Saudi-dominated O.I.C. was to have been discussed with the leaders of Turkey and Malaysia). For months the Crown Prince has been pressuring Imran Khan to normalize his country’s relations with Israel. The Kingdom is the largest foreign investor in, and donor to, Pakistan Last year MBS announced investments in Pakistani petrochemicals, power generation, and mining projects worth more than $20 billion. If Imran Khan does the one thing that is now being asked of him by MBS – to normalize relations with Israel – he can expect even more lavishing of Saudi largesse, in many forms – debt relief, direct investment, financial aid.
I suspect that Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani did not discuss his remarks beforehand with Imran Khan, or with anyone else in the government. For they might have tried to stop him, and he was determined to speak his mind. But I also suspect that Prime Minister Khan is not unhappy that Sherani stuck his own neck out, and staked out a position that makes those who want normalization of ties with Israel seem moderate by comparison. Sherani has now made it easier for the Prime Minister, with MBS urging him on, to join the normalization juggernaut. That’s a consummation devoutly to be wished.
Cornelius says
Prediction: Given the Islamic predilection for religiously-motivated violence, this man’s time in our world will be short.
mortimer says
A number of Koranic scholars have come to the conclusion that the Koran designates Israel as the Land of the Banu Isra’il. Allah makes it rather clear in the Koran.
Cornelius says
Could you please document that Quranic clarity?
gravenimage says
Mortimer, all of the references to Jews in the Qur’an is that “Allah” is displeased with them because they have not all become Muslims, and hence they have lost any protection he once provoiced them.
Infidel says
Pakistan has been in the doghouse of the Saudis and Emiratis for obsessing about Kashmir. Also, culturally, Pakistan as a whole has been cozying up to Turkey: for example, the TV serial Ertagrul, which is about the father of the founder of the Ottoman empire, which is resented by the Arabs, was a big hit in Pakistan. In the Arab vs non-Arab jousting for the leadership of the ummah, Pakistan has squarely been in the Turkish camp
As a result, the Saudis had also cut off the oil donations they had been making to Pakistan, so now, Pakistan’s relations w/ the Arabs are at their worst. So the way the Pakis have been solving this issue has been by smuggling oil from Iran, to get around the sanctions. Iran has been on good terms w/ Pakistan given that India went along w/ the US sanctions and Iran ultimately awarded the Chabahar project to Beijing. And Pakistan also got Turkey’s endorsement of its stance on Kashmir as a result of its support
Pakistan therefore has nothing to gain, and the support of both Turkey and Iran to lose, if it normalizes relations w/ Israel. Israel too has nothing to gain from Pakistan. Its normalization w/ UAE and Bahrein made sense, and to an extent, Morocco as well, but its not its normalization w/ Sudan, whose people are not much different from Egypt, and who won’t welcome Israelis any more than Egyptians did. There is also the fact that Pakistan has engaged in anti-Semitic acts of their own, be it the murder of Daniel Pearl and the massacre of the Chabad House in Mumbai, where the Jews were specifically targeted
And Israel could risk souring its relations w/ India, which has been at their peak ever in history. One thing Israel could do – offer India a quid pro quo, where Israel doesn’t normalize relations w/ Pakistan, and in return, India moves its embassy to Jerusalem
Buraq says
Unfortunately, this Imam will be labelled an Islamic ‘Uncle Tom’. But maybe his statement is a straw in the wind. Change is going to come!
Martin Slann says
Hopefully, the good cleric isn’t a dead man walking.
PaulH says
It seems as though the Arab and some of the wider Islamic world are finally getting it; the Jewish State is here to stay and they’d better get used to it.
somehistory says
This world is about to see the greatest upheaval in all of mankind’s history.
This man is stating the Truth of the matter. Jesus said that things that are “hidden must be revealed and nothing will be kept secret.”
It is no “secret” that God gave the Jews the Land of Israel. It’s only been “hidden” from the moslims who put their faith and trust in a mass-murdering, raper of children, slave trading, sack of slug slime, lying son of satan the devil. Now, this moslim, who has held some important posts, is making that “secret” known to the moslim world.
They will probably seek his head on a post, but the “secret” is out.
Just as when Nehemiah prayed, and the King gave him what he wanted after the prayer, God can make people in high places say what He wants spoken and do what He wants done. Whether those ones expect to say what they say, or it just comes forth without planning.
gregbeetham says
There shouldn’t be any Muslims in the Holy Land or in greater Israel or even in most of Jordan which was part of Judea. It was due to Muslim invasion that they are there and it is an abomination to have the cult of Satan in any of those lands.
gravenimage says
Pakistani Muslim Cleric: Israel Belongs to the Jews
……………..,
OK–I am actually surprised by this.
But Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani has also claimed that the US tries to pit Muslim nations against each other by asking for cooperation on the war on terror:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1646540/us-trying-pit-muslim-nations-maulana-sherani
This guy is no “moderate”.
OLD GUY says
Beware, islam is known for deception.
Onesaffronladoftherisingsun says
Hmmm….the intelligence I heard about inbred porkystan this week is as follows:
– whined about arabs and uae recognition of israel. Got blacklisted by UAE and arabs to prevent rabid crazies from jihadi land blowing themselves up.
– A dozen of porky scums got barbecued in kashmir by our army.
– a Paki minister bashed the French President. Then was forced to eat her words. Then beggar porky prime minister Khan dialed up France for a $300 million debt relief. Then the French said no way Abdul. Plus we won’t service/upgrade your mirages/scorpenes anymore.
– sent a dossier on ’terror’ activities by India which was ridiculed by about 99% of diplomats, the remaining 1% being the Chinese ones who wanted to adopt it for the next kungflu movie. The British, after seeing the first line in the dossier, promptly summoned the inbred paki ambassador to register a strong protest for butchering English language.
– Worldbank refused to extend the corona virus loan saying inbred porkys are worse than the virus, and the virus stands no chance against taliban khan and his crazy subjects.
– Cambodia rescued Kaavan the kafir Hindu elephant from Pakistan fearing sekshual assault by Muslims.
The very existence of inbred porkystan is built upon hatred for Jews Hindus and christians in particular and every non moslem in general . This maulana who speaks in favour of jews is absolutely irrelevant and is a nobody in existence . He is larping as secular dickless npc moslem pig but I am certain he carries jihadi agenda behind his stinky closet thats fully submerged in camel piss. Definitely not buying his bychcraft .