KABUL: In a surprising interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Dr. Naeem, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Taliban regime, stated that the group has no problem with Israel and is open to resolving issues through negotiations with everyone.
When asked directly if the Taliban wanted relations with Israel, he replied, “We have no issue with Israel.”
He further remarked that Israel is a country and noted that some people believe the path to America’s heart goes through Israel, adding that the Taliban simply wants others to resolve whatever problems they have with Afghanistan.
The remarks stand in sharp contrast to the Taliban’s ongoing tensions with Pakistan.
Dr. Naeem made no similar conciliatory statement about Pakistan, a Muslim-majority neighbor.
Instead, the Taliban leadership has repeatedly accused Pakistan of interference while reportedly allowing anti-Pakistan militant groups to operate from Afghan soil.
Observers have described the comments as a striking contradiction: the Taliban regime appears ready to normalize or at least downplay differences with Israel , a state long viewed with hostility in much of the Muslim world, yet continues to maintain a confrontational stance toward Pakistan, despite shared religious and cultural ties.
The interview has sparked widespread discussion about the Taliban’s evolving foreign-policy priorities.
