Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday night condemned Pakistan’s defense minister, who described Israel as “evil and a curse for humanity” and called for the “cancerous state” to be eradicated.
The “call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous,” Netanyahu said. “This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace,” referring to Islamabad’s role in mediating the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran that paused 40 days of war in the Middle East.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja M. Asif wrote in a since-deleted X post that “Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon.
“Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Jerusalem “views very gravely these blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to mediate peace.
“Calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation,” he continued. “Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction.”
The Ayatollahs chanted “Death to Israel” - and now a so-called “mediator” is echoing the same language.
— Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) April 10, 2026
You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem.
Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation. pic.twitter.com/po7MEBUh4Q
Israeli Ambassador to the United Stated Yechiel Leiter said, “The Ayatollahs chanted ‘Death to Israel'—and now a so-called ‘mediator’ is echoing the same language. You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation.”
