The Taliban has expressed willingness to have diplomatic ties with every country willing to do business with it, including America which scuttled its reign in 2001. But the newly formed Islamic Emirate, however, exempted Israel, as the only country on earth it would have nothing to do with, says spokesman Suhail Shaheen.
According to Russian state-owned news agency, Sputnik, Shaheen said: “In a new chapter if America wants to have a relation with us, which could be in the interest of both countries and both peoples, and if they want to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, they are welcome.
“But, of course, we won’t have any relation with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries, Israel is not among these countries.”
Shaheen had recently disowned an interview he granted an Israeli broadcaster, claiming he was ‘duped’ into giving it.
“I do many interviews with journalists every day after the falling of provincial centres of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul to the Islamic Emirate,” he said.
“Some journalists may be masquerading but I haven’t done an interview with anyone introducing himself he is from an Israeli media.”
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is believed to be the major reason the Taliban’s spokesman said they won’t have any relations with Israel.
