By Haider Abbas

There are two ‘first times ‘ in the history to have happened in the second half of February. The first has been the visit of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Army Chief Fahad Bin Abdullah to New Delhi to meet his Indian counterpart MM Naravane on February 15. The visit is what may be summarized as a sharp-wrap on the knuckles of Pakistan as India very calculatedly gave an unprecedented snub to Pakistan which simply smashed Pakistan-off-the-hooks, while Fahad Bin Abdullah and MM Naravane sat before a portrait of showing Pakistan General Niazi ‘laying arms’ before General Aurora of India, after the Pakistan’s surrender in the December 1971 war, which led to the making of Bangladesh.

Pakistan was trying to fly-high over India particularly after its presence at Beijing Winter Olympics and Indian absence from it, as India had objected to China making Qi Fabio, to be Olympic torchbearer,  as he was involved into the skirmish at Galwan valley on June 15, 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers and four-Chinese soldiers had died, and India, extracted its revenge from Pakistan instead, which is otherwise also a Chinese steadfast ally, by making Pakistan see its worst-hour, when it had surrendered before India, and rubbing more salt, was the presence of Fahad Bin Abdullah, from KSA which has traditionally been the resort of Pakistan in any crisis. Fahad Bin Abdullah visit for three days to India did not have Pakistan on his itinerary and was in reciprocation to Indian Army Chief visit to KSA in December 2020, which too was the first time then.

India took the best shot for the occasion as nothing could hit Pakistan more dearly when it was made to remember the loss of its Eastern part in 1971, and India rubbed more salt to it, as KSA was present on its occurrence. The big question is, now, what was the real purpose of KSA Army Chief to visit India, at a such a precarious juncture as Russia-Ukraine conflict is on the boil? Or was he here to convince India to lend forces into its conflict zone with Yemen? If that be, it was to be naivety of the fist category, as India will never hazard its presence in Yemen, as the same it did, when US had sought for it, in its run-up to leaving its occupation from Afghanistan.

The visit has certainly perplexed Pakistan as Pakistan had only a fortnight back, self aggrandized, to have made Arab states represent at Beijing, after it had played a ‘bridge’ which US did not like. The next was KSA Interior Minister visit to Pakistan as there is a thaw between KSA and Pakistan as KSA has again given a 3 billion USD loan to Pakistan, thus, making it to start a new chapter in Pakistan-Arab states relations, after they had gone sour when UAE opened up the Israel embassy on the Independence Day of Pakistan i.e. on August 14, 2020. The Pakistan smile under the sun, therefore, had to be brought to a grinding halt, as US, which has been the KSA ally for more than 70 years, and no wonder US, which is now an ally of India too, help conduct KSA Army Chief reach India to puncture the Pakistan glee, more particularly so, when Pakistan PM Imran Khan is also slated to visit Russia, if at all he makes to it.

The second ‘first-time’, is more stunning as, never in the history before, Pakistan and Israel were expected to come on the same stage, which was done on February 17, as both conducted naval-exercises, along with KSA etc in the Red Sea, reported Times of Israel. Thus, it is now getting more and more clear that Pakistan which was smacked-on its face an Israeli embassy by UAE, on the courtesies, of KSA, has consented to join the bandwagon led by KSA to embrace Israel. The Pakistan argument will be simple, that once when a two-state formula is accepted by Palestine and Israel alike, for which the outgoing US President Donald Trump had already deployed Egypt President Sisi, and when KSA and other Arab States accept Israel, there is no reason for Pakistan to be the odd man out.

Who does not know that Palestine President Mehmood Abbas is just a rubber stamp of Israel and it is all pre-decided that Mehmood Abbas will be too-willing to consent to the two-state formula, of the pre-1967 position, but who will turn the Donald Trump declaration of Jerusalem to be the state capital of Israel? No one. KSA crown prince MbS very recently sought return of his 2 billion USD loan from Pakistan, then has again loaned 3 billion USD and who knows tomorrow he seeks its return again? What will then Pakistan make for? Perhaps, Pakistan will continue to ping-pong around KSA, despite it also playing with China on its CPEC which US wants destroyed at every cost. US will cruise to its objective through KSA, and this is what Fahad Bin Abdullah may have assured MM Naravane. India is equally against CPEC too.

A quick reminder is however needed that by the fag end of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tenure, he had waged a 11 days war on Palestine and all the Arab States remained muted, with the Turkish President, having a dream to reclaim Turkish Caliphate after 100 years, muttering not a single word, until Russian President threatened Israeli ambassador to Moscow Alexander Ben Zvi of a Russian attack on Israel or else end the war, and the same happened.

Now Turkish President, Taiyyip Erdogan, long talks of making an alternative Organization of Islamic Countries along with Pakistan, Malaysia and Iran etc is a far-cry and he is on to his visit to UAE on February 14. To do what? To canvass for the support of Israeli embassies in the Arab world? And, make a path-easy for Pakistan. Turkey has long been hosting an Israel embassy and the Israel President Issac Herzog is set to visit Turkey in March and vice-versa. UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have normalized their ties with Israel-after August 2020. Such euphoria had been witnessed on Erdogan visit to Dubai-Expo that around a million people had gathered for the welcome.

Very soon a massive-campaign is to be launched for a pro-Israel-Palestine acceptance of pre-1967 formula, and now in a very short time, Arab States are to make-way for normalization with Israel with Pakistan also in the line, under the suzerainty of the self-professed Zionist Joseph Biden-the new UP President. But, this might, therefore, may have one exception, that is Iran, which is also marred by attacks from Israel and Arab States alike, apart from reeling under US sanctions for decades. Iran is also fighting its international isolation with utmost strength, and it is also learnt that Iran and US are to ink a deal which would make Iran sell its oil and gas in international market, for the benefit of the whole world, and Arab States are also to accede a place to Iran in OPEC-Plus, all in lieu of Iran’s nuclear programme.

The next world scenario, in all likelihood, is to be pro-Israel where India is to sit pretty, for it would be the first amongst equals with Israel, and will therefore only has to contain China, with which is it engaged in an eyeball to eyeball since quite sometime. Pakistan, by succumbing to KSA will not go ‘very-good’ with China too and this is where India has played its masterstroke. But, embassy-opening-ceremonies do not mean ‘friendship’ as nations fight with diplomatic ties getting snapped, and then restored, and again annulled. There are never permanent friends and permanent enemies too. The world is all like this.

Meanwhile let’s see as to what is to happen on the Russian-Ukraine conflict? Meanwhile, Israel only concern is to evacuate around 75,000 Jews from Ukraine and its abiding scourge is the presence of Russia on its Syrian border.