The Taliban are willing to establish relations with all countries except Israel, the Taliban’s English-speaking spokesman told Russia’s Sputnik News on Tuesday.

“Yes, of course, in a new chapter if America wants to have a relation with us, which could be in the interest of both countries and both peoples, and if they want to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, they are welcome,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.

“Of course, we won’t have any relation with Israel,” he added. “We want to have relations with other countries, [but] Israel is not among these countries… We would like to have relations with all the regional countries and neighboring countries as well as Asian countries.”

After the Taliban gained control of Kabul last month, Shaheen was interviewed by numerous media outlets around the world, including Israel’s Kan News, with the journalist identifying himself as representing “Kan News,” without mentioning any connection to Israel.

When word later got out that Shaheen had spoken with an Israeli media outlet, Shaheen denied granting an interview to anyone who presented themselves as Israeli.

“I do many interviews with journalists every day after the falling of provincial centers of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul to the Islamic Emirate,” he wrote on Twitter [which despite banning Trump is allowing the Taliban to use its platform].

“Some journalists maybe masquerading but I haven’t done interview with anyone introducing himself he is from an Israeli media.”

I do many interviews with journalists every day after the falling of provincial centers of Afghnistan and the capital Kabul to the Islamic Emirate, some journalists maybe masquerading but I haven’t done interview with any one introducing himself he is from an Israeli media.

— Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@suhailshaheen1) August 17, 2021

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)