ISLAMABAD Staff Reporter
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has strongly criticized the recent joint statement issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it nothing more than a blueprint for Israeli expansionism.
In a scathing response, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, “This declaration is not a serious proposal for recognizing the state of Palestine or for the liberation of Jerusalem — it is clearly a formula for expanding Israeli control.”
Highlighting the political legitimacy of Hamas, he stated, “Hamas is a democratically elected representative of the Palestinian people. Ignoring Hamas indicates that global powers are attempting to impose a one-sided solution on the Palestinian people.”
The JUI-F leader further noted that, “The United States, in all its recent discourse, has completely sidelined Hamas — even though they are the primary stakeholder in the Palestinian issue. Without recognizing Hamas as a legitimate party, no resolution to the Palestinian conflict is possible.”
Maulana Fazlur Rehman also lashed out at U.S. foreign policy, saying, “It is astonishing how brazenly America is backing a war criminal like Netanyahu — someone who has already been indicted by the International Criminal Court. Anyone who supports a criminal is complicit in their crimes.”
Turning his attention to Pakistan’s own leadership, he questioned the consistency in their statements. “General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should reflect on the contradictions in their past and present statements regarding the Palestine issue.”
Reiterating the need for Palestinian self-determination, he said, “No external power has the right to impose any solution on the Palestinians unless they themselves choose it. The two-state solution might be someone’s wish or suggestion, but it cannot be enforced upon Palestinians against their will.”
He emphasized the mutual rejection between both parties, saying, “Israel does not recognize Palestine, and Palestine does not recognize Israel. In such a scenario, any forced solution would amount to sheer injustice.”
Maulana Fazlur Rehman concluded by condemning the Trump-Netanyahu joint press conference, calling it an “insult to international justice” and a direct challenge to the authority of the International Criminal Court, which has already declared Netanyahu a war criminal.
