‘Yahoodi agent’: Shehbaz Sharif slammed by Pakistanis over meeting with Israel-linked Rothschild & Co
Shehbaz Sharif Faces Online Backlash After London Meeting With Rothschild & Co Delegation
Bharatmorning.com – Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has drawn criticism from some social-media users after an official photograph showed him meeting a delegation from financial advisory firm Rothschild & Co in London on September 29. The controversy focused on the Rothschild family’s historical links to Jewish settlement in Palestine, although no member of the family was part of the meeting.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced the engagement on X on Tuesday, saying Sharif had met a Rothschild & Co delegation led by Lord Mark Sedwill, chair of the company’s Geostrategic Advisory unit, in London.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met delegation of Rothschild & Co headed by Lord Mark Sedwill, Chair of Geostrategic Advisory in London, today.”
Pakistan’s official account of the discussion described it as focused on the country’s geo-economic agenda. The two sides discussed possible advisory work connected to capital markets and investment planning, an area of major importance for Pakistan as it seeks to strengthen economic activity and attract investment.
No Rothschild Family Member Was Present
Online reaction to the image was shaped by the name of the firm rather than the identities of those who attended. The London meeting involved Rothschild & Co executives and advisers, not representatives of the Rothschild family.
Nevertheless, some Pakistani users on X linked the event to the family’s historical association with Jewish settlement in Palestine before the establishment of Israel in 1948. One account described Sharif as a “Yahoodi agent,” while another expressed anger at Pakistan’s government and establishment.
“Curse be upon the Pakistani govt and establishment. As a Pakistani I'm ashamed of this.”
The reaction reflects the sensitivity surrounding Palestine in Pakistan, where public support for Palestinian rights has remained strong across political divides. Pakistan does not recognise Israel and has repeatedly maintained that recognition would depend on a fair resolution of the Palestinian issue that is acceptable to Palestinians.
Historical Background to the Debate
The historical connection cited by critics centres on Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild banking family. He provided major financial backing to Jewish agricultural communities in Palestine from the 1880s.
The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, describes Baron Edmond as a prominent figure in the early Jewish settlement movement and calls him the “Founding Father of the Yishuv” during the First Aliyah period. He was the third son of James Mayer de Rothschild, who led the French branch of the family.
His philanthropic work was initially carried out with a preference for anonymity, leading to the name “the Known Benefactor.” His relationship with political Zionism was not straightforward. He did not support Theodor, also known as Binyamin Ze’ev, Herzl, and differed with Hovevei Zion. During World War I, however, his association with the Zionist movement grew closer, particularly around the Balfour Declaration and the Paris Peace Conference that followed the war.
In 1923, Baron Edmond created the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, commonly known as PICA, to manage land holdings in Eretz Yisrael. His son James was named its president.
These historical facts have been invoked by critics of Sharif’s meeting, even though the government’s stated purpose was financial and economic consultation rather than a discussion of Israel, Palestine, or diplomatic recognition.
Political Criticism Broadens
Raja Muneeb, a Pakistani columnist, criticised the prime minister’s engagement and argued that seeking financial support had been given priority over Palestinian freedom. He referred to the delegation as “the Jewish family,” despite the absence of Rothschild family members from the meeting.
For Sharif, “begging for funds” was more important than “freedom of Palestine”.
The episode has also been folded into Pakistan’s long-running political arguments involving jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Khan has faced allegations from some critics that he represents a “Jewish lobby,” an accusation that has frequently surfaced in political debate without serving as evidence of a formal relationship or policy position.
An X user responding to the London meeting contrasted those attacks on Khan with criticism of the present government.
“You people used to say Imran Khan is a Jewish agent, but he turned out to be a true Momen, but in fact you and your handlers are true Jewish agents.”
Ch Ahtsham Mustafa of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also attacked Sharif over the meeting, linking it to his party’s broader claim that the current political order is responsible for Khan’s imprisonment.
“Shahbaz Sharif has met with representatives of the notorious Zionist Rothschild family in London. Take a look at some of this family's history so you can understand who is behind the current regime—and why Imran Khan is in prison.”
Palestine Remains a Powerful Public Issue
The dispute follows another recent controversy involving Pakistan’s defence minister, who referred to Imran Khan’s sons and Jemima Goldsmith as Jews. Goldsmith, Khan’s former wife, has a Jewish background. Such remarks have intensified debate over the use of religious and ethnic labels in Pakistan’s political discourse.
Sharif’s London meeting demonstrates how economic diplomacy can become politically charged when it intersects with the Palestinian issue. The government presented the engagement as an effort to explore advice on investment and capital-market strategy. Critics, however, viewed the Rothschild name through the lens of its historical role in Palestine.
For many Pakistanis, the issue is not limited to one business meeting. It is tied to a wider expectation that Pakistan’s leaders should keep the country’s longstanding public and diplomatic commitment to Palestinians clearly separate from commercial or financial engagements with international firms.
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