Israeli media reports ‘secret visit’ by Pakistani journalists, researchers to Tel Aviv

Israeli media has reported on a secret visit by a 10-member delegation of Pakistani journalists, documentary filmmakers, and researchers to Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem.

According to Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), the visit, which reportedly took place last week, was organised by the Israeli NGO Sharaka, which seeks to improve Israel’s relations with Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

The Pakistani delegation visited several key sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in occupied Jerusalem, Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center, meetings with survivors of the October 7 Hamas attack.

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Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sabin Agha, a delegation member from Karachi, spoke to JNS about her experience, stating, “I always wanted to come to Israel to find answers to the questions in my mind and to clear the confusion about what my country and the Muslim world have been telling me about Jews. I am not surprised to find the complete opposite of what the state narrative in Muslim countries has been.”

Qaiser Abbas, editor of The Islamabad Telegraph, told Israel Hayom: “As journalists, we have no boundaries in pursuing information and truth from around the world. It’s not about Israel specifically but about the entire world. This quest for knowledge brought us here.”

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When asked whether his visit could spark backlash in Pakistan, Abbas responded, "I don’t think people will be angry because this is my personal decision. The public has nothing to do with it. The visit has been very informative—we've learned the Israeli perspective after previously only knowing the Palestinian narrative. I’m pleased to see some Muslim countries attempting to establish contact with Israelis."

Meanwhile, senior journalist Shabbir Khan told Israel Hayom that "Senior officials in my country privately favor Israel and desire normalisation."

According to Israel Hayom, several delegation members requested not to be photographed or identified in the media due to security concerns. The news of their visit was only published after they safely returned to Pakistan.