Relations with Israel could help Pakistan, says Musharraf

In an interview with an Israeli newspaper former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf said that relation with Israel could help Pakistan.According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, former ruler said that I believe in realism and in assessing ground realities. I think its necessary to understand the changing environment. He said that Israel is a reality and we have to accept it. He said that Pakistan is an ideological state like Israel.Musharraf said that acceptance of Israel could also help to bring Pakistan and India closer. He stressed that Pakistan should hold diplomatic relations with Israel same as various other Muslim countries.He said that Pakistanis are not anti-Jews but anti-Israel due to Palestine crises. Former ruler said that Pakistan would continue to support Palestinian’s demand for independent state.Musharraf said that he took initiative of having meeting between Pakistani former minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and the then Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom in Istanbul.