Pakistan's 'Muslim Ummah' Concern Over Israel's 'Hexagon Alliance' Plan With India

Pakistan is rattled by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's pitch for a "hexagon of alliances" with India, with Islamabad calling it an "anti-Muslim Ummah bloc." The Pakistani Senate has unanimously passed a resolution condemning Netanyahu's plan to ally with New Delhi and other countries to counter the "radical Shia axis" of Islamic nations.

The resolution was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan on behalf of all political parties against Israel's policies and actions. PPP is an integral part of the PM Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling coalition. 

The resolution criticised any attempts to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Palestinian territories, including holy sites, according to a report by The Express Tribune. "The Senate takes strong exception to statements that undermine regional stability and international legal norms," it said.

The resolution also called Netanyahu's call a "vile proclivity of the leadership of the Israeli occupying power towards diminishing the unity and integrity of the Muslim Ummah on political and ideological grounds." Ummah is an Arabic term meaning "nation" or "community".

The Senate also rejected Israel's reported recognition of Somaliland's independence, deeming it inconsistent with international principles, and reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination. In December, Israel became the first nation to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, sparking strong condemnation from Muslim nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Netanyahu's Pitch

Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that Israel "will create an entire system—essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances—around or within the Middle East."

Netanyahu listed India, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and unnamed Arab, African, and Asian countries as members of the proposed alliance.

According to the Israeli PM, the aim of the alliance is "to create an axis of countries that see reality, the challenges, and the goals in the same way, in contrast to the radical axes," he said. "Both the radical Shia axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis—the radical Sunni axis."

Netanyahu framed the alliance as a counterweight to the "radical Shia axis," led by Iran and its proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as an "emerging radical Sunni axis" linked to remnants of ISIS.