A brief meeting between Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, Adviser to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Tourism, and Michael Yizhakov, Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, drew attention at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. The two were seen shaking hands and speaking at the Pakistan pavilion ,a notable moment given that Pakistan and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations.
Footage from the event shows a cordial exchange, taking place publicly during one of the world’s largest tourism fairs, which hosts delegations from more than 180 countries. The interaction appeared unplanned but was significant enough to spark political and public debate.
The meeting comes at a sensitive time, as global attention remains fixed on the Gaza crisis. Pakistan has been mentioned in several international discussions as a potential participant in future humanitarian or diplomatic initiatives, though nothing official has been announced.
Islamabad has consistently maintained that it will not recognise Israel until a just resolution to the Palestinian issue is reached ,a stance that has shaped Pakistan’s foreign policy for decades. Any interaction between officials therefore carries political weight, whether intended or not.
For Israel, engagement at global forums like WTM offers opportunities to create informal channels with countries that do not officially recognise it. Encounters of this nature, even brief, are often monitored closely by regional observers.
Neither Pakistan nor Israel has issued an official statement about the exchange, leaving space for speculation on whether it was a standard international courtesy or part of broader diplomatic outreach.
