Meretz UK Home of British Meretz

Meretz UK is delighted to invite you to a highly original presentation by noted Pakistani academic, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, on Thursday 29 June 2023.

Ayesha’s topic is Israel-Pakistan: Strategic Shyness or Eternal Enmity?

… a survey of 75 years of relationships between two states that remain, formally, mortal foes.

Ticketing via Eventbrite

Israel and Pakistan don’t have diplomatic relations but these are two countries that are similar at several levels and have remain covertly engaged with each other. There was an expectation especially around negotiation of the Abrahamic Accords that Pakistan May formally recognise Israel. It didn’t happen. Ayesha Siddiqa will examine the relationship, the history of engagement and possibility of formal ties.

• What does the future hold?
• Will diplomatic relations have to await a full Israeli-Palestinian peace?
• What effect might Pakistan’s relations with the USA, the Gulf states and Iran play?
• Might Pakistan one day help resolve the longstanding Israeli-Arab conflict?
• Will ordinary Pakistanis accept a “Jewish and democratic” state in the Middle East?

We are honoured to have an expert like Dr Siddiqa address these and other questions.

More about Dr Ayesha Siddiqa

 

Ayesha Siddiqa is a Ph.D. in War Studies currently associated with the department at King’s College, London as a senior fellow. Earlier she was a research associate at the Centre for International Studies and Development at SOAS and at the South Asia Studies Institute at the National University of Singapore.

She is author of two books on Pakistan’s military: (a) Pakistan’s Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99, and (b) the much acclaimed Military Inc: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy. She is currently working on a book on extremism and militancy in South Asia and its links with West Asia.

Dr. Siddiqa has contributed articles in various academic journals and opinion pieces around the world including in Haaretz. She has taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University. She was also Charles Wallace Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford University. Before becoming an independent scholar she was a civil servant for eleven years that include her two years stint with the Pakistan Navy as Director of Naval Research.

 

• Guests are welcome to pose questions at the end of her presentation.
• Aggressive disruption, however, will not be tolerated.
• Light refreshments served.
• Meretz UK thanks Hashomer Hatzair Trust UK for its support.