On Tuesday, the Taliban set up its temporary government in Afghanistan, one which includes several internationally wanted terrorists. Looking to create an appearance of legitimacy on the world stage, the Taliban government has said it is open to establishing formal relations with many nations—including the U.S.—however, not Israel.
Wait, what?? We can’t have relations with the Taliban?
What an honor to be singled out as the only nation in the world that a wanton group of kidnapping rapists and murderers won’t hang out with. Nobody in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv is going to lose a wink of sleep over that, and we might even stay up late and celebrate.
“Of course, we won’t have any relation with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries; Israel is not among those countries,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in an interview with Russian media. “Yes, of course, 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.”
Shaheen has been acting as the Taliban’s English-speaking spokesman since they took control of Afghanistan in August. Last month, Shaheen caused a stir when he gave an interview in Qatar to Israeli public broadcaster Kan. He claims he was duped into the interview—while the reporter from Kan identified his network, he did not say he was Israeli.
After the interview aired, Shaheen tweeted he does many interviews each day, and “some journalists may be masquerading, but I haven’t done (an) interview with anyone introducing himself (that) he is from an Israeli media.”
He added, “I may shoot children in the head, sell my sister as a slave, and then marry a ten-year-old, but dog-gone-it, I’ll never give an interview knowingly to a Jew!” OK, he didn’t really say that, but if the shoe fits.
The new government in Afghanistan reads like an international most-wanted rap sheet—the acting prime minister, his deputy, and the interior minister are all wanted for terror crimes by the United Nations, the United States, or other nations. And the sad thing is, I wouldn’t be surprised if President Biden establishes relations with them.
For now, the U.S. State Department is stunned that the Taliban doesn’t have any women, gays, or transgenders in the new cabinet! They are concerned over the terrorists who are running the provisional government in Afghanistan but indicated they are reserving judgment, for now. Personally, I don’t think they need to reserve judgment. I’m pretty sure these are bad people.
“We understand that the Taliban has presented this as a caretaker cabinet. However, we will judge the Taliban by its actions, not words,” a State Department spokesman said. The new cabinet is filled with only the Taliban or their cronies.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in Qatar holding talks on Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department continues to call on the Taliban to grant safe passage to U.S. citizens and any Afghanis who want to leave.
By the way, Zebulon Simantov, supposedly the “last Jew in Afghanistan,” finally decided to flee the country. After a dangerous border crossing, he is reportedly headed to America. For more on his story, you can find it here.