In Al-Jazeera Interview, Taliban Spokesman Dr. Muhammad Naeem Wardak Refuses To Rule Out Relations With Israel: What Problem Do We Have With Israel? It Is Strange To Ask Me About Issues That Have Nothing To Do With Us

On August 31, 2022, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired an interview with the spokesman of the Taliban's Political Bureau, Dr. Muhammad Naeem. In response to a question about the possibility of dialogue between the Taliban and Israel, Dr. Naeem responded: "What problem do we have with Israel? Next thing someone will ask is whether we are willing to [have a dialogue] with Mars." When pressed by the interviewer about whether the Taliban intends to recognize Israel and establish relations with it, Dr. Naeem responded that it is unreasonable to ask questions about resolving problems with a certain party when that party "does not have a problem with us." He also criticized the media, saying: "You bring stuff from the end of the world and throw it into the mix of our reality here." For more about Dr. Naeem, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 9063, 9048, and 9026.

Muhammad Naeem: "Our policy is to resolve problems through dialogue and mutual understanding. With everybody. Whoever has a problem and wants to resolve it – we are perfectly ready.

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Interviewer: "Dialogue with everybody with no exceptions? Even with Israel?"

Muhammad Naeem: "What problem do we have with Israel? Next thing someone will ask is whether we are willing to [have a dialogue] with Mars."

Interviewer: "Israel is a country. Some say that the path to America's heart passes through Israel."

Muhammad Naeem: "If you have a problem with anyone, you can resolve it. We want to resolve problems that others have with us. With whom do we have a problem [there]?"

Interviewer: "So you do not have a problem with Israel now?"

Muhammad Naeem: "I do not know... This is the media for you... You bring stuff from the end of the world and throw it into the mix of our reality here. This is very strange."

Interviewer: "This is not so far-fetched... Israel is a country that is recognized by most... Will you recognize Israel and establish relations with it, since you have changed, compared to 20 years ago? This was my question. The prime minister said: 'We are open to everybody.'"

Muhammad Naeem: "I said this too, but we are talking about people who have problems with us. If a country or a person does not have a problem with us, can you even ask whether we are willing to resolve the problems with people we have nothing to do with? I think that asking this is unreasonable."