Pak's 'Muslim Ummah' Slams Netanyahu's 'Anti-Ummah Hexagon' Plot With India

Pakistan's political establishment has expressed profound alarm over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a 'Hexagon Alliance' involving India, labelling it an insidious plot against the Muslim Ummah.
This reaction intensified ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Tel Aviv, prompting a unanimous Senate resolution in Islamabad that condemned the initiative as an 'anti-Muslim bloc'.
The resolution, tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan on behalf of all major political parties, passed without dissent in the upper house of Parliament. As a key component of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition, the PPP's involvement underscores the breadth of opposition across Pakistan's fractured political spectrum.
Islamabad's censure extends beyond the alliance itself, targeting Israel's broader policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Senate decried any moves to alter the legal or historical status of these areas, including venerated holy sites, asserting that such actions flout international legal norms and threaten regional stability.
Netanyahu's rhetoric drew particular ire for its perceived assault on Muslim unity. The resolution described it as a 'vile proclivity' of Israel's leadership aimed at fracturing the Ummah—the Arabic concept denoting the global Muslim community—along political and ideological lines.
Further fuelling Pakistan's outrage was Israel's recent recognition of Somaliland's independence. In December, Jerusalem became the first nation to formally acknowledge the breakaway Somali region's sovereignty, a step Islamabad views as inconsistent with international principles and one that has already provoked backlash from Muslim states and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The Pakistani Senate reaffirmed its unwavering support for Palestinian self-determination, positioning the resolution as a defence of broader Islamic solidarity against perceived Zionist encroachments.
Netanyahu unveiled his 'Hexagon Alliance' vision shortly before Modi's trip, envisioning a network of partnerships 'around or within the Middle East'. He explicitly named India, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot Administration as pillars, while alluding to unspecified Arab, African, and Asian partners.
According to the Israeli leader, this coalition would unite nations sharing a common worldview on security challenges and objectives. It stands in direct opposition to what he termed the 'radical Shia axis'—dominated by Iran and its proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—alongside an 'emerging radical Sunni axis' tied to ISIS remnants.
Netanyahu boasted of Israel's successes in striking the Shia axis hard, framing the hexagon as a strategic bulwark to preserve stability and counter extremism. This narrative resonates with India's own security concerns, particularly regarding Pakistan-sponsored militancy and China's regional influence.
For Pakistan, the inclusion of India—a longstanding rival—transforms the proposal into an existential threat. Islamabad perceives it as an encirclement strategy that could isolate Muslim-majority states and empower non-Muslim powers in the Islamic world's backyard.
The timing amplifies sensitivities, coinciding with heightened Israel-India defence ties. New Delhi has emerged as a major buyer of Israeli weaponry, including drones and missile systems, while joint ventures in cybersecurity and space technology deepen bilateral bonds.
Pakistan's response reflects deeper geopolitical anxieties. With Iran facing Israeli strikes and Sunni extremists regrouping, Islamabad fears the alliance could legitimise anti-Pakistan narratives, portraying it as complicit in radical networks despite its own counter-terrorism efforts.
The Senate's unity signals rare bipartisan consensus in Pakistan, where domestic divisions often hamper foreign policy. This could presage diplomatic outreach to allies like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia to rally the Ummah against the perceived hexagon threat.
Critics in Pakistan argue that Netanyahu's plan exploits post-Gaza war dynamics, where Israel's military prowess has deterred adversaries. Modi's visit, potentially the first by an Indian PM to Israel since normalisation, risks cementing this axis amid India's 'Act East' pivot and Mediterranean outreach.
Regionally, the proposal challenges existing frameworks like the Abraham Accords, which already integrate some Arab states into Israel's orbit. Adding India could extend this model eastward, reshaping Indo-Pacific security with Middle Eastern dimensions.
Pakistan's invocation of the Ummah harks back to its foundational ideology as a homeland for South Asia's Muslims. Yet, practical constraints—economic woes, military strains from border tensions, and internal militancy—limit Islamabad's ability to lead a counter-coalition.
As Modi prepares for Tel Aviv, eyes will watch for alliance signals. A joint statement endorsing the hexagon could escalate rhetoric from Pakistan, possibly straining its ties with Gulf patrons wary of alienating India.
Netanyahu's pitch exposes fault lines in the Muslim world, pitting pragmatic states against ideological hardliners. For Pakistan, it is not merely a diplomatic slight but a clarion call to safeguard the Ummah's cohesion in an era of realigning powers.
Agencies
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