The Taliban Wants Cooperation With All Countries Except Israel

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

After forming the interim government Afghanistan, Taliban claimed to be ready to cooperate and build dialogue with other countries in the world, except Israel.

“We don’t want to have relations with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries. Israel is not among these countries,” Taliban spokesman Shuhail Shaheen was quoted as saying. Sputnik News, Wednesday (8/9).

Shaheen did not elaborate further on why Afghanistan will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

He then discussed that Afghanistan wants to establish relations with all neighboring countries and the region, including the United States.

“Yes, of course. In a new chapter, if America wants to have a relationship with us, that can be in the interests of both countries and both peoples,” he said.

The Taliban also said they were ready to welcome Washington’s possible involvement in rebuilding Afghanistan.

“If they want to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, they are welcome,” Shaheen said.

Although he stated that the Taliban did not want to deal with Israel, Shaheen was in the spotlight because he was interviewed by one of the Zionist state media, namely: Can Israel.

Times of Israel reported, Shaheen claimed not to know that he was interviewed by Israeli media. At that time, news announcer, Roi Kais mentioned the name of the media. However, he did not tell Shaheen that he was Israeli.

The video of the interview then went viral on social media. Shaheen later denied via his Twitter account. He admitted that he had conducted many interviews after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

“Some journalists may be undercover, but I haven’t had an interview with anyone who introduces himself from the Israeli media,” he wrote.

[Gambas:Video CNN]

The Taliban often uses anti-Israel narratives in their propaganda. They also continue to bring up the same narrative after seizing power in Afghanistan on August 15 last.

After seizing power, the Taliban announced an interim government on Tuesday (7/9). The Taliban appointed Mohammad Hassan Akhund as prime minister, Abdul Ghani Barradar as deputy prime minister, and Sirajuddin Haqqani as interior minister.

Ahead of the announcement, Turkey had warned countries around the world not to rush to recognize the Taliban government.

(isa/has/bac)

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