US President Donald Trump has reportedly placed Pakistan in an increasingly difficult diplomatic position by urging it to join the Abraham Accords and formally recognise Israel. Trump allegedly connected Pakistan’s participation in the accords to broader negotiations involving a possible peace arrangement with Iran, effectively forcing Islamabad to balance its strategic relationship with Washington against its long-standing ideological and political stance on Israel.
The demand has created what many observers describe as a major diplomatic dilemma for Pakistan. On one side, refusing Trump’s proposal risks straining ties with the United States and potentially undermining Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy, particularly regarding Iran. On the other side, recognising Israel could trigger massive domestic backlash inside Pakistan, where opposition to Israel remains deeply rooted politically, religiously, and socially.
Pakistan appears to have leaned toward rejecting the proposal, at least publicly. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif firmly dismissed the idea of Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords if doing so would compromise the country’s “fundamental ideologies.” Speaking in an interview with Samaa TV, Asif questioned Israel’s credibility and expressed strong opposition to normalising relations with the Jewish state.
“I don’t think we should join any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies. How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?” Asif said while criticising Israel.
The Pakistani defence minister also pointed to Pakistan’s passport policy as evidence of the country’s unwavering position. Pakistani passports notably state that they are valid for all countries except Israel, making Pakistan one of the very few nations in the world that still explicitly bars travel to Israel for its citizens.
“On our passports, we are the only country whose passports don’t even include Israel’s name. We have a very clear stance that this is not acceptable to us,” Asif added.
Trump’s reported comments have once again brought attention to the Abraham Accords, a set of diplomatic agreements brokered by the United States during Trump’s first presidential term in 2020. The accords were designed to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries. The first countries to sign the agreements were the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed later by Morocco and Sudan. Countries like Egypt and Jordan had already established diplomatic relations with Israel years earlier.
Trump’s latest push reportedly targeted countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan, urging them to formally normalise ties with Israel as part of broader regional diplomacy connected to tensions involving Iran.
For Pakistan, however, the issue is uniquely sensitive. Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has refused to recognise Israel, largely because it supported the Palestinian cause. Islamabad has consistently maintained that recognition of Israel could only happen if an independent Palestinian state is established based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
This position has remained unchanged despite growing regional shifts. Over recent years, several Gulf Arab nations have moved closer to Israel under American diplomatic pressure and shared strategic concerns in the Middle East. Pakistan, which relies heavily on Gulf countries for financial assistance, remittances, oil support, and military cooperation, faces increasing pressure to adapt to changing geopolitical realities.
The issue is particularly complicated because Pakistan has also attempted to maintain strong ties with both the United States and Iran simultaneously. Reports suggesting that Trump wants Pakistan involved in mediation efforts regarding Iran further complicate Islamabad’s diplomatic balancing act. Rejecting Trump outright could irritate Washington, while accepting his demand could provoke severe political and religious outrage inside Pakistan.
Domestic politics also play a major role. Religious groups and conservative political organisations in Pakistan strongly oppose any recognition of Israel. Any government seen as moving toward diplomatic relations with Israel risks facing protests, political instability, and accusations of betraying the Palestinian cause.
This is not the first time Pakistan has reportedly faced foreign pressure regarding Israel. In 2021, former Prime Minister Imran Khan publicly acknowledged that Pakistan was under pressure from the United States and other countries to normalise ties with Israel. However, Khan insisted at the time that Pakistan would not change its position unless Palestinian rights were addressed.
Even earlier this year, when Pakistan joined discussions related to the Gaza Board of Peace initiative, its foreign office quickly clarified that the move should not be interpreted as support for the Abraham Accords. Pakistani officials stressed that the country’s policy toward Israel remained unchanged and that Islamabad would not become part of any arrangement linked to formal recognition of Israel.
The latest developments, therefore, place Pakistan in a highly delicate situation. Publicly rejecting Trump’s proposal may help Islamabad maintain domestic political stability and ideological consistency. Still, it could also complicate relations with Washington at a time when Pakistan is seeking stronger international partnerships and economic support.
At the same time, recognising Israel would represent one of the biggest foreign policy shifts in Pakistan’s history and could fundamentally reshape its domestic political landscape. For now, Pakistan appears determined to hold its traditional position, even if that means risking friction with the Trump administration.
How Trump responds to Pakistan’s refusal, and whether Washington increases pressure in the coming months, may significantly influence the future direction of Pakistan-US relations and the broader geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East and South Asia.
