On October 3 of this year, Maariv newspaper, a renowned Israeli media, disseminated a report of a conversation with Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, which generated significant uproar. The reason was that Massoud stated that he would not avoid receiving help from any country, even Israel, in the war against the Taliban. This conversation occurred in Paris, where Massoud is staying. Gideon Katz, a veteran and well-known reporter of Maariv Newspaper, held the conversation at the sideline of a news conference. The wide coverage of Massoud’s statements in the media forced the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) to react: “The NRF has not had a specific conversation with any Israeli media, and there has been no request for help from that country. The rumors about this are completely baseless and biased.”
In this context, two questions are raised: 1- Why does Ahmad Massoud welcome Israel’s help in the war against the Taliban? 2- Why does the NRF deny the content of Massoud’s conversation with the Israeli newspaper? These questions could be raised and answered if the leader of the NRF has talked with the Israeli newspaper. Therefore, this article is written based on an assumption of the correctness of the issue.
Why does Massoud welcome Israel’s help in the war against the Taliban?
- Obtaining the Support of the United States
The NRF needs the support of the United States in the fight against the Taliban. Therefore, it is turning to Israel since establishing a friendship with Tel Aviv would be possible to get America’s support. In the past two years, the resistance front has been trying to garner the support of the great powers of the world, especially the United States, but it has not prospered enough. The importance of Israel’s safety and survival in the Middle East for the United States is clear. Organizations and countries that oppose Israel are impossible to be among America’s friends due to the powerful Jewish lobbyists in American society having an undeniable influence on the government of this country. Historically, there have been several organizations and governments that have reached out to Israel to attract the support of the United States. Specifically, the second Pahlavi government in Iran befriended Israel and de facto recognized it to attract American support. Additionally, Egypt became an ally of the United States when it entered into negotiations with Israel. In the same way, Saudi Arabia puts difficult and seemingly impossible conditions in front of the US in the normalization of relations with Israel. This is because this country knows that the survival of Tel Aviv is of strategic importance to Washington. In October 2021, news circulated in the media that the Taliban was trying to establish a relationship with Israel, which could also be to gain the support of the United States.
- Lenient Reaction to the Countries of the Region
The NRF’s failure to direct the foreign policy apparatus of the Western governments to the benefit of the Taliban opposition made it unable to attract the support of the regional governments. The countries of Russia, India, Iran, and some Central Asian republics, which were supporters of the anti-Taliban front in the past, are seeking the Taliban’s satisfaction, not fighting with this group. In the meantime, the front expects more from the region’s countries, especially the Islamic ones mainly to force these countries not to allow the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam to grow and more importantly recognize it.
In this case, the resistance front’s request from Israel can be considered as a kind of soft reaction against these countries. If the countries of the region, especially those that are not on good terms with the Western governments, do not respond to the demands of the resistance front, they may refer to Israel. However, it does not seem that Islamic countries except Iran take this turn seriously. This is because their efforts are aimed at normalizing the relationship with Israel, not avoiding it.
- Showing a Tolerant Image
One of the objections to the NRF is that it is influenced by the teachings of the Muslim Brotherhood. This issue unfolded when a member of the leadership of the front wrote on his Facebook page that only Muslims can be members of the front, not non-Muslims. According to him, non-Muslims can only be fans and support the front. Additionally, in an interview with one of the media, he claimed that the reason for the dismissal of one of those who could have been a member of the leadership of the National Resistance Front was his support for Marxist ideas. These statements left a negative impact on the media creating the impression that there is not much distinction between the Taliban and the NRF in their understanding of Islamic texts. This means that the resistance front like the Taliban does not have a good middle ground with tolerance and does not reflect the opposing thought. Perhaps, Massoud is currently expressing his desire to be pragmatic in an interview with the Israeli media, so that he can present a customary, tolerant, and non-brotherhood image of the Front.
- Warning to the Taliban
The NRF has been engaged in a face-to-face or guerilla war with the Taliban for the past two years and several months, resulting in several casualties from both sides. It considers war as a more effective option against the Taliban than dialogue. Now, to demonstrate his firmness in the war with the Taliban, Massoud has not even avoided accepting the risk of seeking help from Israel. So, during his trip to Paris and in a conversation with the media, he claimed that the Taliban do not believe in peace and that the plan of the NRF is aimed at increasing guerrilla warfare to exert further pressure on the Taliban and make them willing to talk.
Why does the NRF deny the content of Massoud’s conversation with the Israeli newspaper?
- The Pressure of Public Opinion
Public opinion in the Islamic world, especially in Afghanistan, views Israel as an enemy that usurps the territory of Palestinian Muslims and oppresses them. Therefore, establishing a friendly relationship with Israel can leave risks at the moment. The past governments in Afghanistan have not recognized Israel, and the Taliban consider themselves supporters of Palestine and opponents of Israel. The Resistance Front does not consent to the disclosure of the request for help from Israel to avoid the backlash in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the Taliban may use this issue as a propaganda tactic for their benefit which can be to the detriment of the resistance front.
- Iran’s Reaction
The NRF is indeed unsatisfied with the warm relationship between the countries of the region, particularly the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the Taliban, but it does not want the disclosure of the request for help from Israel to expose its half-closed relationship with Iran to a complete boycott. The Islamic Republic has a good middle ground with the Taliban, but occasionally it has an eye for the resistance front, which is evidenced by the openness of this front’s representation in the city of Mashhad and its permission to carry out cultural and sometimes political activities.
It is a well-known fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran denies the existence of Israel keeping hostility with its friends and friendship with its enemies. Therefore, if the content of Massoud’s conversation as reflected in the media is true, Iran’s partial relationship with the resistance front will be adversely affected, and this loss will be greater.
