Islamabad has firmly rejected recent remarks by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, describing his statements as speculative, baseless, and politically motivated. Bennett had claimed that a new regional axis was emerging involving Turkey, Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Pakistan, alleging that Pakistan’s nuclear capability was part of this perceived threat to Israel.
Responding to media queries, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated that the government does not comment on statements made by officials of a country it does not recognize. The spokesperson emphasized that Bennett’s assertions were founded on conjecture rather than facts and lacked any credible basis. “The nature of these remarks is entirely speculative and rooted in unfounded assumptions,” she said.
Bennett made the comments during a meeting of American Jewish organizational leaders in Jerusalem, where he warned that the alleged alliance could fuel hostility toward Israel and even influence Saudi Arabia. He also claimed that Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, posed a growing threat and accused the current Israeli leadership of underestimating this risk.
In his speech, Bennett portrayed Turkey as a dangerous rival seeking to encircle Israel and went on to suggest that Ankara, backed by Pakistan’s nuclear capability, was leading an ideological bloc rooted in Muslim Brotherhood-linked movements. He further argued that Israel must cooperate on multiple fronts to confront what he described as threats from Iran and Turkey, even referring to Turkey as “the new Iran.”
Pakistani officials and analysts view these remarks as an attempt to draw Pakistan into unrelated regional narratives and ideological disputes. They stress that Pakistan’s nuclear program is defensive in nature and governed by strict international norms, and that Islamabad has consistently advocated regional stability, non-proliferation, and peaceful coexistence.
Observers note that such statements risk inflaming tensions by conflating diverse countries and movements into a single threat narrative, without evidence or context. Pakistan, they add, remains focused on its own security priorities and constructive engagement with the international community, while rejecting attempts by individual foreign figures to mischaracterize its policies or intentions.
