HYDERABAD, Sept 6: The secretary-general of Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawar Hassan, has warned the government that the nation will never accept recognition of Israel. He was speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Tuesday.

He said after the Balfour Declaration which sanctioned the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, the All-India Muslim League under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had opposed the creation of the state of Israel in all its meetings held between 1933 and 1947.

He said after the creation of Israel, the Quaid-i-Azam had written a letter to US President Truman that history would never forgive the countries which were instrumental in the creation of Israel.

He said the policy had remained cornerstone of not only the Muslim League governments but all governments of Pakistan.

He said when Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan visited the United States, a delegation of a Jewish lobby had called on him and promised to extend all help including arms to Pakistan for recognizing Israel but he had rejected the offer by saying, “Gentlemen, our souls are not for sale”.

He said Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra who was considered a man of the US lobby had threatened to walk out of a Commonwealth conference if the proposal to accept Israel as a member of the Commonwealth was tabled.

Syed Munawar Hassan said when Z.A. Bhutto was foreign minister, he had threatened to walk-out from Cento’s military meeting if Israel was made a member.

He said in 1967, when a delegation of Arab countries had called on General Ayub Khan to thank him for Pakistan’s support in the Arab-Israel War, he had said the Arab countries might recognize Israel but “we will never ever recognize that country”.

He said it was an irony that the rulers were bent upon undermining consistent foreign policy of the country by extending a hand of friendship to Israel.

The Jamaat leader said though Israel was a member of the UN but it had flagrantly violated the Security Council’s resolution 242 to go back to the pre-1967 war position.

He said Israel had also violated decision of the International Court of Justice which had directed it not to construct the wall in Palestine. He said the people were not prepared to accept Palestine as Israel.

He rejected arguments that Israel had evacuated from Gaza and said it was only two per cent of the total area which Israel had occupied 30 years back.

He said the people of Pakistan should know that protest demonstrations had been held in Gaza against Pakistan following the meeting between foreign ministers of the two countries.

He said the meeting had been held when parliament was in session but it was not taken into confidence.

He said General Pervez Musharraf had converted parliament into a decoration piece and he was in fact implementing the Camp David agenda.

He said the basis of difference of view was not of being a Jew or a Muslim but perception that Israel was created on the basis of terrorism and it continued to practices terrorism.

He called PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to resign from his post as the government by extending a hand of friendship to Israel had insulted the Quaid-i-Azam and the Quaid-i-Millat.