UNITED NATIONS Sep 14, 2005 — Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shook hands at a reception just before the start of the United Nations summit Wednesday.
The handshake followed a landmark meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel last week, the first formal high-level contact between the Islamic and Jewish states.
But Musharraf played down the significance of the greeting.“I was standing and he came in a group and shook hands with me … he asked me how I was, I asked him how he was. That’s very good,” Musharraf told reporters with a smile, after initially evading questions about the meeting.
Asaf Shariv, a spokesman for Sharon, said the handshake was initiated by Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade just before the summit opened. Secretary-General Kofi Annan had invited world leaders to a breakfast reception.
After shaking hands with Sharon, Shariv said Musharraf called over his wife and introduced her to the Israeli leader. He said there was no discussion.
The Pakistani leader said last week he did not plan to meet Sharon at the three-day U.N. gathering despite praising the Israeli premier as “courageous” for ordering the withdrawal of Jewish settlements from Gaza.
Pakistan and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, and Pakistan has in the past taken a harder line against Israel than some Arab countries.
Associated Press Writer Amy Teibel, based in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
Re: Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel's Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
There's nothing Musharraf won't do to please his American masters.
Recognizing Israel will not have any siginificant bonuses for Pak, but it will for Mush. Apart from a few small deals, Israel will naturally side with India, and have a small relationship with Pak.
Mush will be the 'winner', as usual he doesn't care what the people of Pakistan think.
Re: Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel's Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
No...It is not to please US...It is to encourage Israel to end its occupation in West Bank & East Jerusalem(Bet Ul Muquddus)....which Israel would never...Sharon has a lot of Anti-Sharon sentiments in Israel now a days ...even more then it was against Yitzhak Rabin,before he was assasinated in 1995...He would play this card & would down play the Israeli occupation of Palestine...
Reagrding naturally siding with India....there is nothing 'Natural' & 'For Ever" in this game of World Politics...Friendships change every now & then..
Re: Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel's Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
The dreaded handshake. That means that Mushy and Sharon are now completely and totally responsible for the behavior of the other for the next three decades. Ask Donald Rumsfeld.
Re: Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel's Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
^
Did Musharraf or Sharon travel to each other's respectice capitals to specially do this, as Rumsfeld did when he went to Baghdad on more than one occassion? Is Musharraf supporting Sharon's war mongering as you people did when Saddam attacked Iran? That one picture of Rumsfeld kissing Saddam's backside still seems to haunt you guys, but Iranian's don't forget what you did.
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
Umm, Rumsfeld was not the Chief Executive, in fact he did not even hold a cabinet office at the time of his visit to Saddam, he was a private citizen who had been asked by the Reagan to visit ALL capitals in the Middle East in the wake of the bombings of Marines in Lebanon.
But since you reject the facts, perhaps you will recognize that people shake hands as a greeting, not as a statement of absolute friendship. I am sure Mushy and Sharon will not be swapping spit during long hot showers, however, it is encouraging that some thawing is taking place in an otherwise hostile situation for the last 50 years. Mushy may accomplish more than Hamas…
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
Private citizen (former and present Defense Secretary) sent by the President of the United States to meet the butcher of Baghdad. Yes, very private indeed.
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
No i disagree Musharaff will be the loser in the end because we all know what happens to puppets when they are of no use any longer usually they meet suspicious accidents if you catch my drift, but you are correct he does’nt care what the people of pakistan think.
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
except for one puppet in particular, osama bin laden, wasn’t/isn’t h a puppet too. A puppet gone wild (sounds like girls gone wild)
as far as Pakistan thawing relations with Israel not doing anything, .. hey being cold to each other for 50 years has not accomplished anything so at worst no change, otherwise maybe as a gesture of goodwill it may go a long way.
And I ask once again, why do we recognize Russia even though the issue with Chechnya remains, or India when Kashmir is disputed..lets be equitable here.
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at U.N.
Yes OBL was and maybe still is a CIA agent who knows. And the US created
al Ciada this is also fact.
this is law from allah(swt) we do not recognize the usurption of land be it by jew or xstian and making deals with enemies of islamic is not permitted be it in 5 years or 500 years, the yahood are enemies of islam and it is clear they wish to cement there place in palestine for as long as possible, secondly they break every treaty in existence so trusting them is like trusting the murderer of yoru mother!
Re: Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shake Hands at
Firing blank kartoos again! This is the language of Arrabobs and MAToos. Why would Islam allow marriage with Jewish and Christian people? You mean Muslims can have sex with them but can’t trust them? Wah ji wah!
