Okay I'm off to eating 'Chicken Boneless Handi' with 'Kastoori Kebab' and a warm crispy 'Roghni Naan' - Ayeee haaai...haaai ! So I'd make this short :
1) On recognizing Israel : I don't like the idea of a bunch of European Jews coming back to Palestine with an Bible in one hand and an Ak-47 in another exclaiming that this is their 'Promised Land' ! Having said that, countries don't exist because they have a right too...they just do exist or they don't. Period. Israel does exist and recognizing that fact isn't going to legitimize its existence just as refusing to recognize it isn't going to de-legitimize it - its there ! So recognize that just as Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and others have done so but make that recognition conditional to a final settlement of the Israel-Palestine issue much like what we've done with Kashmir - We recognized China's sovereignty over the Aksai Chin but we added a condition to the document/treaty (whatever its called !) that 'we recognize it pending the final solution of the Kashmir conflict' or something to the effect but I'm sure you get an idea of what I'm trying to say.
2) Should we have close relations with Israel ? No...there is state of an apartheid imposed by Israel against the Palestinians and we condemn it in the strongest sense of the word. So no...no close relations for me but yes trade with them and have a consulate over there and perhaps even try to help towards a final settlement of the Palestine-Israel conflict by using whatever diplomacy we can.
3) Why should we show solidarity with the Palestinians ? We're not Arabs ? - I wasn't expecting a Pakistani of all nationalities to be saying that ! Why should I give a foOk about Pukhtoons dying in KP and FATA ? I'm not a Pukhtoon ! Why should they - the Pukhtoons give a wooden nickel about the Kashmiris, allegedly, suffering in IOK ? They're certainly not Kashmiris ! Why should any ethnicity from Pakistan care about the trials and tribulations of any other ethnicity in Pakistan ? Because we got this country under the banner of 'Muslim Nationalism', because 'Pan-Islamism' is widely practised in Pakistan thats why a Pukhtoon despite a different language, culture, ethnicity and history embraces a Punjabi as his brother and vice versa because this is what Iqbal taught us, this is what Jinnah taught us ! Consequently we must apply the same to the Arabs ! If you've got any issues with their Government fine...! I don't like the decadence or the corruption of the Royals either but let us not write-off an entire race of People due to the actions of a few individuals and a few events, I'm sure there is much in Pakistan's history that we've done and have had individuals that we're genuinely ashamed off ! Let us then extend the same courtesy to the Arabs ! Let us at least try to transcend these petty differences and even its not entirely reciprocated by the other side that is why we have 'ideals' that we aspire for !
Okay...I'm off for 'Paiiiiit Pooja', I'll see you guys in around 2 hours !