LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has declared that Israel is an illegitimate state and Pakistan will never recognize it, stressing that no solution to the Palestine issue is possible without acknowledging Hamas as the main stakeholder.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he recalled that Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had termed Israel a “bastard child,” and that Pakistan continues to adhere to this position.
He criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing decisions on the world “with force,” calling it neither political nor ethical. Rehman insisted that Palestinians must decide their own fate and that no plan can be imposed on them.
On the two-state solution, he said: “If Israel refuses to recognize Palestine’s existence and Palestinians reject Israel at all costs, then the so-called two-state solution is merely a wish, not a reality.”
He also questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s stance, pointing out differences between his UN General Assembly speech and his subsequent statement on social media.
Rehman slammed the joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it “an insult to the International Court of Justice,” which, he said, had declared Netanyahu guilty of crimes.
He emphasized that Hamas must be recognized as the real party in any negotiations. “The Trump-Netanyahu plan may serve Israel’s expansionist agenda, but it is not a formula for Palestinian freedom or Jerusalem’s liberation. If they are serious, they must withdraw the U.S. embassy from Jerusalem,” he added.
According to Fazlur Rehman, the entire Muslim world stands united for Palestine’s freedom, and any two-state solution would only be acceptable if it ensures an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
