A sharp war of words erupted Thursday after Khawaja Asif launched a blistering attack on Israel, prompting a rare and forceful public response from Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials.

Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, labeled Israel “evil” and a “curse for humanity” in remarks tied to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon during a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire. In a now-deleted post on X, he further escalated rhetoric, claiming that “genocide is being committed in Lebanon” while peace talks were underway in Islamabad.

“I hope and pray that the people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European Jews [sic] burn in hell,” Asif wrote.

The remarks triggered immediate backlash from Israel. Netanyahu condemned the statement as “outrageous,” saying, “This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, also issued a strong rebuke, accusing Pakistan’s leadership of spreading “blatant antisemitic blood libels.” He warned that describing Israel as “cancerous” amounts to a call for its destruction, emphasizing that Israel “will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction.”

The diplomatic clash is notable given the absence of formal relations between Israel and Pakistan, with Tel Aviv historically avoiding direct engagement with Islamabad. However, Israeli officials signaled that the severity of the remarks warranted a public response.

The confrontation followed an earlier condemnation by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry of Israeli actions in Lebanon, which was then amplified by Asif’s incendiary social media statements. The post was later deleted after drawing widespread criticism.

Israeli officials have also expressed longstanding skepticism about Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy. Reuven Azar reiterated that Israel does not view Pakistan as a credible intermediary in peace negotiations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)