Pakistan’s defense minister calls Israel ‘cancerous’ ahead of US-Iran talks in Islamabad

Netanyahu, Sa’ar denounce since-deleted post by Khawaja Asif against ‘state created on Palestinian land to get rid of European Jews,’ days into Pakistan-brokered ceasefire

Israeli leaders overnight Thursday denounced the government of Pakistan, which is mediating the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations, after the country’s defense minister called Israel “cancerous.”

In a post on X, Khawaja Asif wrote, “Israel is evil and a curse for humanity,” and asserted that “as peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon.”

Israel has been fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon since March 2, when the Iran-backed terror group started attacking the Jewish state with rockets and drones in support of its Iranian sponsor. Iran and Lebanon openly seek to destroy Israel.

“Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated,” Asif continued.

“I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell,” he said.

Responding to Asif, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the “call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. 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.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the “blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to ‘mediate peace,’” while echoing the Prime Minister’s Office in saying that “calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation.”

“Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction,” said Sa’ar.

Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter also denounced the post, writing on his own account: “The Ayatollahs chanted ‘Death to Israel’ — and now a so-called ‘mediator’ is echoing the same language. You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation.”

Asif later deleted the post, without offering an apology or explanation.

Pakistan succeeded in brokering a ceasefire between the US and Iran on Tuesday by crafting a last-minute bridging proposal, two government officials familiar with the negotiations told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

Negotiations between the US and Iran are set to begin in Islamabad on Saturday, with US Vice President JD Vance leading the American delegation, alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The Wall Street Journal reported early Friday that the Iranian delegation had landed in Pakistan, and that it was led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Semi-official Iranian media reported denials from the regime that officials had gone to Islamabad, according to the Journal.

The government of Israel, which will not be represented in Pakistan, said it supported the truce agreement and called off its own military actions in the campaign it had launched together with the US on February 28.

The military operation had the stated goals of degrading the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, distancing threats posed by Iran — including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs — and “creating the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple the regime.

Netanyahu has sought to shoot down the notion that he was caught off-guard by the truce, while touting the campaign so far and stressing that Israel is ready to resume combat operations at any moment.

However, opposition leaders have accused him of letting Israel get cut out of the decision-making process, with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid dubbing the truce a “diplomatic disaster” and former premier Naftali Bennett charging that “the leadership sold us illusions.”

Three separate polls released Thursday showed that a slim majority of Israelis oppose the ceasefire and less than a third support it.