The Complex Geopolitical Dynamics Of Afghanistan And Israel: A Study In Contrasts

Afghanistan and Israel are two distinct countries that are not located within each other. Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South Asia with a population of about 40 million people. On the other hand, Israel is a country in the Middle East, situated on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and has a population of about 9 million people.

Historically, Afghanistan and Israel have never had formal diplomatic relations, and Afghanistan has never recognized Israel since its creation in 1948. The two countries have had a complex relationship, with some instances of cooperation and conflict. There has been a historical presence of Jews in Afghanistan, with records dating back to the 7th century CE, and some Afghan royals have even claimed Hebrew origin stories. However, due to decades of conflict, antisemitism, and religious persecution, the Jewish community in Afghanistan has diminished, with most emigrating to Israel or the United States.

In recent times, the complex dynamics between Afghanistan and Israel have been influenced by various factors, including the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan and its stance towards Israel, as well as Israel's involvement in the region, such as its conflict with Hamas.

Afghanistan and Israel have never had formal diplomatic relations

In a 2005 interview in Kabul, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai hinted at a desire to establish formal ties with Israel, stating: "when there is further progress [in the Middle East peace process], and the Palestinians begin to get a state of their own, Afghanistan will be glad to have full relations with Israel."

However, in 2021, a Taliban spokesperson told Sputnik: "Of course, we won't have any relations with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries; Israel is not among these countries. We would like to have relations with all the regional countries and neighbouring countries as well as Asian countries."

In the 1980s, Israel cooperated with the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries as part of Operation Cyclone, where it indirectly provided armaments to the Afghan mujahideen, who were fighting the Soviet-backed Afghan government as well as the Soviet Union itself.

Historically, Afghan royals have proclaimed an origin story that claims their ancestor is the prominent Hebrew patriarch, Jacob. There are also origin theories among some Pashtun tribes that claim their descent from Saul, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel.

Jews have lived in Afghanistan for at least 2,500 years

Afghanistan and Israel are two distinct countries and Afghanistan is not located in Israel. However, there is a long history of Jews in Afghanistan, which goes back at least 2,500 years.

Ancient Iranian tradition suggests that Jews settled in Balkh, a Zoroastrian and Buddhist stronghold, after the collapse of the Kingdom of Judah in 587 BCE. The town of Balkh was a major hub of Jewish life in ancient Afghanistan, and some Islamic traditions hold that it was the burial place of the prophet Ezekiel and the home of the prophet Jeremiah. Jews also settled in Herat, an important location on the Silk Road, and Kabul, where a Jewish quarter was established in the 12th century.

In the 18th century, Jews who had served in the army of Nader Shah settled in Kabul as his treasury guards. Over time, the Jewish community in Afghanistan included leather and karakul merchants, landowners, and moneylenders. They carved their prayers in Hebrew and Aramaic on mountain rocks as they travelled across the country.

In 1948, there were around 5,000 Jews in Afghanistan, but the majority emigrated to Israel in the following years. This was due to various factors, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the rise of communism, the persecution of religious people by the Red Army, and anti-Jewish measures enacted by Afghan authorities.

By the end of 2004, only two Jews were known to remain in Afghanistan: Zablon Simintov and Isaac Levy, who lived on opposite sides of the Kabul synagogue. They had a contentious relationship and spent time in Taliban jails due to their constant feuding. Levy passed away in 2005, and Simintov became the sole known Jew in Afghanistan until his evacuation to Israel in 2021. Simintov's distant cousin, Tova Moradi, who left for Albania in October 2021, is believed to have been the last Jew living in Afghanistan.

Today, the majority of Afghan Jews reside in Israel, with smaller communities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Despite the long history of Jews in Afghanistan, there are no remaining Jewish communities in the country due to emigration, warfare, antisemitism, and religious persecution.

The Taliban denies claims of joining Hamas on the battlefield

Afghanistan and Israel have never had formal diplomatic relations, and Afghanistan has never recognized Israel since the latter's creation in 1948. In 2021, a Taliban spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, confirmed that the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would not have any relations with Israel.

In October 2023, the Taliban were forced to deny claims that they were trying to join Hamas fighters in the ongoing conflict with Israel. A fake post on the social media platform X claimed that the Taliban contacted Iran, Iraq, and Jordan for passage to join Hamas. The post was viewed 2.5 million times and was picked up by some media outlets.

The head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, refuted the claims, stating that the news was inaccurate and based on rumors. The Taliban's spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, affirmed that the Taliban's foreign ministry had issued a statement, reiterating their position of carefully monitoring the situation in Gaza. The statement expressed support for the defense and resistance of the Palestinian people for the freedom of their land and holy places.

Analysts suggest that the Taliban's denial has put them in a challenging position, as they attempt to distance themselves from active support for Hamas while potentially displeasing some members of their cadre. While the Taliban lean toward Hamas and are expected to provide political, logistical, and military support, they are unlikely to publicly announce it due to their obligations under the Doha Agreement. According to the agreement, the Taliban must prevent any threats from Afghanistan to the U.S. and its allies, which includes Israel.

Some experts believe that while the Taliban might not officially engage in the Palestine-Israel conflict, there could be factions within the Taliban who still subscribe to global jihad and view the conflict as a religious duty. Nevertheless, the Taliban leadership is conscious of the potential consequences of foreign involvement, including financial repercussions and sanctions.

Israel mourned the loss of 1,400 citizens in a Hamas attack in October 2023

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,400 citizens. The attack, which included a breach of the border fence and an incursion into Israeli towns, was the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

The assault, which left babies slaughtered, women raped, and entire families burned alive, also saw hundreds of innocent civilians taken hostage. The terrorists' acts were filmed and circulated, with footage depicting decapitation, mutilation, and other atrocities.

The Israeli government declared a state of war the following day, and the country's security cabinet voted to act to bring about the destruction of Hamas. In response to the attack, Israel launched one of the deadliest and most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history, targeting Hamas compounds, command centers, tunnels, and other sites.

The war resulted in a significant international backlash, with countries recalling their ambassadors and cutting diplomatic ties with Israel. The conflict also renewed focus on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the possibility of a two-state solution.

The Israeli government faced criticism for its handling of the situation, particularly regarding intelligence failures that allowed the attack to occur despite extensive monitoring of Gaza. The war also sparked protests worldwide, primarily calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation.

The death toll from the attack and the subsequent conflict is likely to continue fluctuating. The identification of victims is an ongoing process, and there are reports of individuals who were initially thought kidnapped but later confirmed dead.

Israel and Afghanistan cooperated in Operation Cyclone in the 1980s

Afghanistan and Israel have never had formal diplomatic relations, and Afghanistan has never recognised Israel since the latter's creation in 1948. However, in the 1980s, Israel and Afghanistan did cooperate indirectly as part of Operation Cyclone.

Operation Cyclone was a program run by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to arm and finance the Afghan mujahideen, who were fighting against the Soviet-backed Afghan government and the Soviet Union itself. The program was one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations ever, costing over $20 million per year in 1980 and peaking at $630 million during the fiscal year ending in October 1987.

Israel was one of several countries that provided armaments to the mujahideen. Thousands of mujahideen fighters, particularly from the Hezb-e Islami militia of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, were reportedly trained by Israeli military instructors. Akhtar Abdur Rahman, the then-head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), allegedly allowed Israeli personnel into Pakistan during this time. Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, also assisted Pakistan in training Afghans near the Pakistan-Afghan border.

In addition to providing training, Israel supplied weapons to the mujahideen through Pakistan's ISI. Israel had captured large stockpiles of Soviet-made weaponry during the Yom Kippur War and agreed to sell them to the CIA clandestinely. The CIA supplied the mujahideen with antique British Lee-Enfield rifles at first, but by 1986, US-made state-of-the-art weaponry, such as FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, were being provided.

The cooperation between Israel and Afghanistan during Operation Cyclone was part of a broader alignment of interests between the two countries in the context of the Cold War and the conflict in Afghanistan. Israel saw the mujahideen as a way to bog down Soviet forces in Afghanistan, while the US sought to counter Soviet influence in the region. Pakistan, a key ally of the US, also played a significant role in coordinating the efforts of various countries involved in Operation Cyclone.

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