Israeli Official: 40m Kurds deserve independent state

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurds are over 40 million people, and they should not be blocked from having their independent state, said an Israeli official on Monday.

Israel Deputy Foreign Minister and acting Regional Cooperation Minister Ayoub Kara told Kurdistan24 that Israel does not interfere in any countries’ internal affairs.

Kara mentioned that Israel views Kurds in particular with importance, along with all other minorities in the Middle East in general.

He discussed the Kurdish referendum and said, “I personally support Kurdish independence. It is impossible for 40 million Kurds to not think about independence. There are some people in the Middle East that are only a few million, and they own an independent state.”

Additionally, Kara noted that the international community should support Kurds in combating extremism in the Region, as Kurds have been one of the most active ground forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

“We support Peshmerga. People here like Peshmerga so much that the word is a household name,” he said.

“If I am officially invited by the State of Kurdistan, I will visit, no doubt, even secretly if I have to. I want to be the first [official] to visit Erbil after Kurdistan declares independence,” Kara added.

Recently, Israel Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon called upon the international community to support Kurds in the fight against IS.

Israel has been one of the countries that have publicly shown its support for Kurdish statehood. Last year, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stated, “We [the State of Israel] must openly call for the establishment of a Kurdish state that separates Iran from Turkey, one which will be friendly towards Israel.”

Also, in June 2014, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, pointed out, “With respect to the Kurds, they are a warrior nation that is politically moderate, has proven they can be politically committed, and is worthy of statehood.”

Reporting by Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany and Ava Homa