Secret Israel visit shocks journalists and citizens alike
The unauthorised and clandestine visit of some Pakistani journalists to Israel — currently engaged in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by killing innocent Palestinians — has not only shocked the country’s media professionals but also its other citizens. Here, two students of the Beaconhouse School System express their dismay over the journalists’ controversial trip to the homeland of Zionism.
How Israel’s guests have betrayed millions of Palestinians
By Ahmed Nofel Siddiqui
ALTHOUGH rumours of a ‘secret Pakistani delegation’ visiting Israel had been circulating online, I initially dismissed them, believing that no Pakistani in their right mind would betray their Palestinian brethren by traveling to that country. However, I was proven wrong when the news was confirmed — despite the fact that Pakistani passports clearly state they are not valid for travelling to Israel. As a proud and devoted Pakistani, I was deeply disturbed by this revelation.
What was most appalling was not just that visiting Israel is widely condemned in Pakistan, but that the statements made by the journalists involved were misleading and unacceptable. Of the ten or so journalists in question, only one — documentary producer and filmmaker Sabin Agha — has publicly acknowledged making the trip.
During the visit, some journalists, speaking anonymously, suggested that “Pakistan must collaborate with Israel on technology,” while others argued that “both countries could work together in science, technology, and education.”
However, the most shocking statement came from Ms. Agha, who remarked: "I wanted to find out what Israel has done to Pakistan. And I found out completely the opposite of it." In other words, she suggested that Israel has never acted against Pakistan’s interests.
To this, I pose a question: Are you unaware of the Israeli-Indian plot to attack Pakistan’s nuclear facility at Kahuta? Have you ignored the fact that Israel has armed India — our archrival — on multiple occasions? Or are these truths too inconvenient for you to acknowledge?
The visit of these Pakistani journalists highlights Israel’s well-crafted strategy of “divide and rule.” By hosting them, Israel successfully influenced their perception, prompting them to portray it in a favourable light. These journalists, therefore, have betrayed the very Pakistan that our founding fathers fought and died for.
Pakistan’s leaders always championed the cause of a free Palestine, just as they fought for an independent Pakistan. By choosing to visit Israel, these journalists have turned their backs on millions of Palestinians suffering under Israeli occupation. How can they sleep peacefully despite the grave injustice they have committed?
The cherry-picking of excesses
By Ali Agha
THE visit of a ‘secret delegation’ of Pakistani journalists appears to be a step towards normalising ties with Israel. This directly undermines the Palestinian cause — one that the vast majority of Pakistanis fervently support. By making this trip, these journalists have violated Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to Palestine, a principle clearly reflected in the statement on our passports prohibiting travel to Israel.
While visiting Israel to document its culture and society might have been justifiable to some extent, Sabin Agha — the only journalist who publicly acknowledged the visit — has gone a step further. She expressed her willingness to produce a documentary about Israeli suffering following the events of October 7, 2023.
She stated: "This is what we, as filmmakers, do. So, I will try my level best to show that suffering." However, what is most concerning is her silence regarding Israel’s relentless atrocities since late 2023.