‘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

Indiadailyupdate.com – Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif drew criticism on social media after sharing news of a September 29 meeting in London with a delegation from financial advisory firm Rothschild & Co. The reaction focused on the Rothschild family’s historical links to Jewish settlement activity in Palestine before the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office announced the engagement on X on Tuesday, describing the visitors as a Rothschild & Co delegation led by Lord Mark Sedwill, chair of Geostrategic Advisory.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met delegation of Rothschild & Co headed by Lord Mark Sedwill, Chair of Geostrategic Advisory in London, today.

No member of the Rothschild family took part in the meeting. The government said the discussion concerned Pakistan’s geo-economic agenda and possible advisory work involving capital markets and investment planning.

Social Media Response

The image of Sharif with the delegation prompted a wave of hostile responses from some Pakistani users online. Much of the criticism invoked Pakistan’s longstanding refusal to recognise Israel and its stated support for Palestinian rights.

One X user described Sharif as a “Yahoodi agent”, while another posted:

Curse be upon the Pakistani govt and establishment. As a Pakistani I’m ashamed of this.

Such language reflects a politically charged strain of online commentary in Pakistan, where allegations involving Jewish influence or Israel are frequently used against rival political figures. The meeting itself was framed by the government as an economic and investment-related discussion, rather than a diplomatic engagement with Israel.

Columnist Raja Muneeb argued that the encounter suggested Sharif placed “begging for funds” ahead of the “freedom of Palestine,” referring to the delegation as connected to “the Jewish family.”

Pakistan’s Position on Israel and Palestine

Islamabad does not recognise Israel and has consistently backed the Palestinian cause. Pakistan has maintained that recognition of Israel would depend on a fair resolution of the Palestine issue that is acceptable to Palestinians.

That position makes any perceived association with figures or institutions connected, historically or symbolically, to Zionism especially sensitive in domestic political debate. The London meeting occurred in the context of Pakistan’s continuing search for investment, market access and international economic partnerships.

Rothschild & Co is a financial services firm. While its name is associated with the wider Rothschild banking family, the delegation received by Sharif did not include a Rothschild family member. The distinction became a central point in the dispute, as many social-media posts treated the firm and the family’s historical record as inseparable.

Historical Connection to Jewish Settlement in Palestine

The Rothschild family’s connection to pre-state Jewish settlement in Palestine is particularly associated with Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. A member of the French branch of the banking family, he provided substantial financial assistance to Jewish agricultural settlements from the 1880s.

The official website of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, identifies him as a major public figure of the First Aliyah period and refers to him as the “Founding Father of the Yishuv.” His support helped sustain a number of agricultural communities at a time when Jewish settlement in Palestine was expanding.

Edmond de Rothschild later created the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, or PICA, in 1923 to manage his landholdings in Eretz Yisrael. His son James was appointed as the organisation’s president.

His relationship with the Zionist movement was not straightforward. He did not back Theodor Herzl and differed with Hovevei Zion, while seeking anonymity in many of his philanthropic activities. For years, he was known as “the Known Benefactor.” During the First World War, however, his association with the Zionist movement grew closer, particularly around the Balfour Declaration and the Paris Peace Conference that followed the war.

Political Arguments Re-emerge

The controversy has also revived familiar claims exchanged between Pakistan’s major political camps. Former prime minister Imran Khan has repeatedly been targeted by opponents who allege that he represents a “Jewish lobby,” an accusation that has circulated for years in political discourse.

The issue gained added attention after Pakistan’s defence minister stirred controversy by referring to Khan’s sons with Jemima Goldsmith as Jews. Goldsmith has a Jewish background.

Supporters of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party used Sharif’s London meeting to turn those accusations back on the present government. One Pakistan-based X user wrote:

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, a PTI member, also criticised the meeting in a post that linked it to 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.

The episode illustrates how an official meeting focused on finance can rapidly become part of Pakistan’s wider political conflict. For Sharif’s government, the stated purpose was to explore economic advice and investment strategy. For critics online, the historical associations surrounding the Rothschild name became the dominant issue.