The Enduring Alliance: Afghanistan's Steadfast Support For Palestine

Afghanistan has a history of supporting Palestine, being the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence in 1948 and officially recognising Palestinian statehood in 1988. In 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). During the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan condemned Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

In 2023, amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine, the Taliban-governed Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its support for Palestine, condemning Israeli actions as a violation of the rights of Palestinians. However, the Taliban leadership maintained a relatively muted stance during the conflict, refraining from harsh statements or strong reactions.

Despite the Taliban's measured approach, Afghanistan's interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, emphasised the country's sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinian people, characterising Afghans as revolutionary people, they are people of action rather than words.

Afghanistan was the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine's independence in 1948

Afghanistan has a history of supporting Palestine. In October 1948, Afghanistan recognised the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence, becoming the first non-Arab country to do so. This recognition came in the context of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, which saw the invasion of Palestine by five Arab nations following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel.

In the years since, Afghanistan has continued to support Palestine. In 2019, Afghanistan donated one million US dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). During the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan condemned Israeli attacks against Palestinians.

Under the Taliban, Afghanistan's support for Palestine has continued. In October 2023, the Taliban-governed Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported Palestine and claimed that the Hamas attack was an "Israeli trampling" on the rights of Palestinians. Taliban officials have also condemned Israel's attacks on Gaza, although they have refrained from taking harsh positions and expressing controversial statements about Israel.

The Taliban's measured approach is likely due to the group's desire to show support for the Palestinians without formally intervening in the conflict. Despite this, some Afghans have criticised the Taliban's response as being too muted.

In 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees

In March 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The donation was presented by Afghanistan's ambassador to Turkey, Abdul Rahim Sayed Jan, to the commissioner of the UNRWA, Pierre Krahenbühl, in an Istanbul ceremony. The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, who hosted the meeting, congratulated Afghanistan for the donation. Cavusoglu noted that the Afghan people had greater need of the money than the Palestinians, but that they had sent it to help Palestinian refugees continue their education and not be left hungry and homeless. He added that the Palestinians would never forget the aid and support they were given.

The donation came at a time when the UNRWA was facing a funding crisis. The previous year, the Trump administration had announced it was cutting US funding for the agency. The US had been the agency's largest contributor by far, providing around a quarter of its overall budget. Krahenbühl said that the agency would need more support in the future, and Cavusoglu promised that Turkey would increase its aid to Palestinians.

UNRWA is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. It was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly to provide relief to all refugees resulting from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and its mandate has been periodically renewed ever since. UNRWA's definition of "refugee" includes not only Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 conflict but also their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians were registered with UNRWA as refugees.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza, calling them a great human horror

Afghanistan has a history of supporting Palestine, being the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence in 1948 and officially recognizing Palestinian statehood in 1988. In 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Amid the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expressed its condemnation of Israeli attacks against Palestinians. During the Hamas-Israel war in October of the same year, the Taliban-led government maintained a stance of silence and non-intervention, with Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's chief spokesperson, issuing a statement condemning Israel's besieging of Gaza and calling on the international community to address the crisis.

In February 2024, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan once again declared its support for the Palestinian people, strongly condemning Israel's attacks on Gaza, which included cutting off water and preventing the entry of food and medicine, as a great human "horror" and a "barbaric" attack. They urged the international community, especially Islamic countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to address the issue promptly and prevent further attacks.

The Taliban's interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has stated that Afghans are people of action rather than words, suggesting that their support for Palestine goes beyond mere statements. However, compared to other countries in the region, Afghanistan under Taliban rule has seen minimal demonstrations condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

The Taliban's foreign ministry has twice condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza, but refrained from harsh statements

Afghanistan has a history of supporting Palestine, being the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence in 1948 and officially recognising Palestinian statehood in 1988. In 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Amidst the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expressed its condemnation of Israeli attacks against Palestinians. In October 2022, Taliban official Zabihullah Mujahid met with Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Turkey. In January 2023, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Interior Minister of Afghanistan, met with religious scholars from Palestine.

During the 2023 Israel-Palestine conflict, the Taliban's foreign ministry twice condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza, but refrained from harsh statements. The Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, remained quiet during the conflict, in contrast to the fervent, daily anti-Israel comments from neighbouring Iran. The only senior Taliban official to speak out was Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister, who is on the United States' most-wanted list. Haqqani stated that the Taliban does "not interfere in others' internal affairs" but has "faith-based sympathy with Muslims". Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's chief spokesperson, issued a statement in condemnation of Israel's besieging of Gaza, calling on the international community to address the crisis. The Taliban rejected claims that it wanted to join Hamas on the battlefield.

The Taliban's muted response has been criticised by some Afghans, who have called on the Taliban to speak out in defence of Gaza. However, experts note that any Taliban rhetoric supporting Hamas does not violate the Doha agreement with the United States, as it does not involve letting Afghanistan be used by terrorist groups that threaten the U.S. and its allies.

In February 2024, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan once again declared its support for the Palestinian people, stating that Israel's attacks on Gaza are a "great human horror". The Islamic Emirate asked the international community to address the Palestinian issue and prevent Israel's "barbaric" attacks.

Afghans support Palestine through action, not words, according to Taliban's Sirajuddin Haqqani

The Taliban's foreign ministry has twice condemned Israel's attacks on Gaza. However, unlike other Muslim countries' leaders, Taliban officials have refrained from taking harsh positions or expressing controversial statements about Israel. There have been minimal demonstrations in Afghanistan condemning Israel's attacks, in contrast to Iran. The Taliban's measured approach may be surprising to some, given their claim of divine support in defeating a superpower and its NATO allies.

During the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expressed its condemnation of Israeli attacks against Palestinians. In October 2022, a Taliban official met with Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Turkey. In January 2023, Sirajuddin Haqqani, as the Interior Minister, met with religious scholars from Palestine. However, at the onset of the Hamas-Israel war in October, the Taliban leaders maintained a stance of silence and non-intervention, denying that they wanted to join Hamas in the war against Israel.

Afghanistan has a history of supporting Palestine. It was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence in October 1948 and officially recognized Palestinian statehood in November 1988. In 2019, Afghanistan donated $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) after the United States stopped aid.

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