News Desk
- MEMRI announced the launch of the Balochistan Studies Project on June 12, 2025
- Washington-based think tank MEMRI was founded by Colonel Yigal Carmon
- Colonel Yigal served over 20 years in Israeli military intelligence
- Since 2012, MEMRI has been accused of supporting Israeli intelligence efforts: researcher
ISLAMABAD: As global power struggles intensify across West Asia, new revelations suggest that Israel is attempting to co-opt the Baloch national movement to advance its own geopolitical agenda.
In an opinion piece for Al Jazeera, a Palestinian writer and researcher uncovers how the launch of a new Israeli-linked initiative—the Balochistan Studies Project (BSP) by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)—reflects a broader strategy to instrumentalise an insurgency for colonial and strategic gain.
Balochistan Studies Project
According to Abdulla Moaswes, the Palestinian researcher, on June 12, MEMRI announced the launch of the Balochistan Studies Project (BSP), portraying Balochistan as a “natural ally of the West” and a strategic tool to counter Iran and Pakistan.
Critics argue this framing is deeply misleading. MEMRI’s focus on Balochistan’s resource wealth—including oil, gas, uranium, and the port of Gwadar —raises suspicions of colonial motivations. More alarmingly, the BSP justifies its relevance by citing Iran’s “nuclear ambitions” and its ties with Pakistan, suggesting Balochistan could serve as an outpost for regional surveillance.
Israeli links
MEMRI’s founder, Colonel Yigal Carmon, served over 20 years in Israeli military intelligence. Since 2012, MEMRI has unofficially supported Israeli intelligence efforts, raising questions about the true purpose of the BSP, writes Moaswes.
A controversial figure promoted by the project is “Mir Yar Baloch,” described as a “leading Baloch intellectual”. However, Baloch activists have dismissed him as a fabrication. Niaz Baloch of the Baloch National Movement called him a “fake account” with no grassroots legitimacy, and noted his suspicious praise for both India and Israel.
Analysts see this as a coordinated attempt by Israel—and its ally India—to use the Baloch insurgency to undermine Iran and Pakistan, while stifling transnational solidarity with stateless groups like Palestinians and Kashmiris.
