Lashkar-e-Taiba deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri has threatened the frontline leadership and top military officers in Pakistan with a direct, public threat of eliminating them if they “even thought about recognizing Israel”. “They will be murdered, destroyed and ruined,” he said while addressing a rally.Kasuri’s comments come after President Trump appealed to several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords.During a public rally organized in view of Eid al-Adha prayers, Kasuri took direct aim at the country’s top administrative officials and warned that any behind-the-scenes effort to change Pakistan’s long-standing foreign policy regarding Israel would be met with fierce resistance.Kasuri further stated that no international superpower has the ability to force Islamic countries to recognize Israeli statehood. He pointed to the strengthening defense alliance between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, claiming that Pakistan’s military capabilities now have the strategic reach capable of countering Israeli influence.Throughout the address, Kasuri actively took advantage of the highly volatile rhetoric surrounding jihad, martyrdom, and the ongoing conflict in Palestine to incite his followers and strengthen opposition against government policy. “Whoever accepts Israel will be destroyed…God willing, this Muslim nation is our faith, this is our faith…This act of enmity will continue forever, unless you join us in worshiping the one Allah. The agreement with Saudi Arabia is a beginning for Islam…for the Ummah. This is not the work of any ruler, politician or leader. This is not the result of plans…it is the result of thousands and lakhs of people who have dedicated their lives in the path of Allah…”But security experts and sources saw Kasuri’s rhetoric as “staged” and a ploy by Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir to sidestep any US pressure to support Israel.