Following the deadly Pahalgam attack, Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, issued a strong statement and said that “it is now the duty of India to do to Pakistan and to Pakistan’s ISI what Israel did to Hamas,” calling for decisive action against Pakistan’s intelligence agency for its alleged role in supporting terrorism.
Drawing a comparison to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Rubin said that both attacks targeted peaceful civilians–liberal Jews in Israel and middle-class Hindus in India.
While speaking with ANI, Rubin stated, “That is exactly what went on when October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. It was directed specifically against Jews and not only against Jews, but among the most liberal Jews who were most prone to wanting peace and normalcy with the Gaza Strip. Targeting a vacation resort, middle-class Hindus, it is evident that the Pakistanis are trying the same tactic now. It should be no more successful for Pakistan than it was for Hamas. And frankly, it’s now the duty of India to do to Pakistan and to Pakistan’s ISI what Israel did to Hamas.”
He added, “It’s time to wipe out the leadership of the ISI to treat them as a designated terror group and demand that every country that is an ally of India, every country that is an ally of the world’s largest democracy, do the same.”
Rubin also said that the recent remarks made by Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir may have served as a direct provocation for the Pahalgam attack. “Certainly that speech seemed to green light terror. Asim Munir said that Kashmir is the jugular vein. What India now needs to do is to cut Pakistan’s jugular. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. There are no shortcuts anymore. Asim Munir gave the green light,” Rubin stated.
“We know that Pakistan is home to a myriad of terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba… Unfortunately, because of a lack of concerted counter-terror action, because Pakistani diplomats are playing the West for fools, we now have an expansion of the problem, not only in Pakistan but frankly in Bangladesh as well,” he added.
The brutal attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday left 26 civilians dead after terrorists opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran meadow, making it one of the most horrific incidents since the 2019 Pulwama terror strike. The attack has drawn comparisons with past high-profile attacks and has reignited public outrage across the country.
In response, India announced stringent countermeasures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and closing the integrated check post at Attari with immediate effect–moves intended to send a strong diplomatic message against cross-border terrorism.
