Afghanistan–Israel relations

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Afghanistan–Israel relations
Map indicating locations of Afghanistan and Israel

Afghanistan
Israel

There are no diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Israel.[1] After the 2021 Taliban takeover, Zablon Simintov, the last Jew of Afghanistan and tenant of the Kabul synagogue left the country on September 7, 2021, due to the possibility of more radical Islamic groups like IS-KP taking him hostage, instead of the Taliban, which caused him to leave the country.[2]

History[]

Israel provided armament and training to mujahideen forces who were fighting the Soviet-backed Afghan government. Thousands of mujahideen fighters, particularly from the Hezb-e Islami faction of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, were trained by Israeli instructors. The head of Pakistan's ISI agency, Akhtar Abdur Rahman, apparently allowed the Israeli trainers into his country.[3]

The Afghan Royal Family have a well-known origin story according to which their ancestor is the Jewish prophet Jacob, also known as Israel. It also claims they are descendants of the Israelite king Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, the last son born to Jacob and Rachel.

In a 2005 interview in Kabul with a reporter from the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth, Afghan President Hamid Karzai hinted at a desire to establish formal ties with Israel. When "there is further progress [in the Mideast peace process], and the Palestinians begin to get a state of their own, Afghanistan will be glad to have full relations with Israel," he said. He revealed that he had met Shimon Peres several times, and called him a "dear man, a real warrior for peace.[1]

After the Taliban gained complete control of Afghanistan in 2021, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told Sputnik: "Of course we won't have any relation with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries, Israel is not among these countries. We would like to have relations with all the regional countries and neighbouring countries as well as Asian countries."[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Tarzi, Amin (5 November 2005). "Afghanistan: Might Warmer Relations With Jerusalem Cool Kabul's Relations With Tehran?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Afghanistan's Last Jew Leaves After Taliban Takeover". Haaretz. The Associated Press. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  3. ^ Hilali, A. Z. (2005). US-Pakistan Relationship: Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Ashgate. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-7546-4220-6.
  4. ^ Kampeas, Ron (10 September 2021). "Taliban Says It Wants Ties With U.S. and Rest of the World – but Not Israel". Retrieved 17 September 2021 – via Haaretz.
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