March 14, Kathmandu – Following remarks made by Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Israel issued a strong rebuttal a few days ago. Subsequently, the presidents of Turkey and South Korea also faced sharp criticism from Israel. On social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders responded vehemently to statements made by the Turkish president. The Turkish leader had claimed, ‘Turkey would have joined the war against Israel if Pakistan had not mediated.’ Israel’s criticism extended not only to the Turkish president’s remarks but also to social media posts by the South Korean president.
In this context, Professor François Bello, director of UGI, wrote on social media platform X: ‘Since last week, Israel has been embroiled in diplomatic disputes with Spain, France, Italy, South Korea, Pakistan, and Turkey. This situation is unlikely to be short-lived and has a high potential to deteriorate further.’ He added, ‘Global public opinion has largely turned against Israel, and democratic governments ultimately must heed their citizens’ views.’
Israel’s condemnation of the South Korean president was sparked by a video posted on South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s social media showing alleged human rights violations by Israeli forces. In response, Israel’s foreign minister issued a statement declaring, ‘President Lee Jae-myung’s portrayal of the Holocaust on the eve of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day as a routine event is unacceptable and vehemently condemnable.’
The statement further explained, ‘President Lee had retweeted a 2024 story involving a fake account known for spreading anti-Israel misinformation and falsehoods that misrepresented current events.’
Turkey accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being ‘the Hitler of our era’ and sought to disrupt peace talks between Iran and the United States. Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying, ‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called the Hitler of our time due to his crimes, has a clear and visible past before all.’
The statement also noted, ‘The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has filed genocide allegations against his government.’
Responding, South Korea’s foreign ministry stated that Israel’s foreign ministry had misinterpreted President Lee’s remarks, which were intended to express his firm commitment to fundamental human rights. South Korea also clarified that it condemns acts of violence.
The controversy over Khawaja Asif’s statement began earlier when the office of Israel’s Prime Minister sharply denounced the Pakistani defense minister for calling the Israeli government a ‘cancer.’
The Pakistani defense minister had posted on X, accusing: ‘While talks on Islamism are ongoing, genocide is taking place in Lebanon. Innocent civilians have been killed in Israeli operations, first in Gaza, then in Iran, and now in Lebanon. This bloodshed continues unstoppable.’ In this statement, Khawaja Asif referred to the Israeli government as a ‘cancer’ and used harsh terms to describe it. However, this post is no longer available on X.
