Musharraf’s resignation sets back possible ties with Israel

Olmert blamed for not pursuing Pakistani relations

By ICEJ News

19 Aug 2008

According to Israeli sources, Pakistan’s President Perves Musharraf’s announcement of his resignation on Monday has crushed any hope of strengthening ties between Pakistan and Israel any time soon.

Musharraf caused a media frenzy when he shook hands with former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon while attending a UN world leaders’ reception in September 2005.

Isaac Kfir, a Pakistan analyst at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, criticized current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for not pursuing stronger ties with Musharraf since then. He said Olmert's snubbing of Musharraf’s proposal to participate in the UNIFIL peacekeeping troops along the Lebanese border was "a major loss." Kfir assesses this was a first quiet attempt to form ties with Israel because Musharraf could not have done so publicly.

Such relations will not be feasible in the near future because of the race for a new president in Pakistan, which contains the second-largest Muslim population in the world.

Though reportedly interested in establishing ties with Israel, Musharraf held back because of his struggle to survive, said an Israeli government source. Communicating with Israel would not have gone over well in Pakistan, said the source.

Musharraf’s resignation on Monday ended his almost nine years in office following a military coup. Musharraf said he was stepping down in order to avoid a struggle for power with those threatening to impeach him. He said he was content that all he did “was for the people and the country… I hope the nation and people will forgive my mistakes."

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