Jemima Goldsmith, former wife of Imran Khan, has responded to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments about Jewish identity, saying his explanation of matrilineal descent would also mean that she and her father would not be considered Jewish.
Goldsmith made the remarks in a post on X on September 18, 2026, following comments by Khawaja Asif about the transmission of Jewish identity through the maternal line.
These buffoons can’t help making blunder after after blunder. According to this logic, neither my mother, nor her parents are Jewish… Incredible levels of stupidity. https://t.co/VOjALlQzm6
— Kasim Khan (@Kasim_Khan_1999) September 18, 2026
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Jemima Challenges Asif’s Argument
Goldsmith said Asif was correct in stating that, under mainstream Jewish tradition, Jewish identity is traditionally determined through the mother.
The Defence Minister is right. It’s why I have never been considered Jewish by the Jewish community. My mother was a Church of England Protestant. And by this logic, my father was not Jewish either. His mother was a French Catholic. As ever, in attempting to undermine my sons,…
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) September 18, 2026
She explained that the same principle applied to her own family background, saying her mother was a Protestant member of the Church of England.
“The Defence Minister is right. It’s why I have never been considered Jewish by the Jewish community,” Goldsmith said in her post.
She added that her father would also not have been considered Jewish under the same principle because his mother was French Catholic.
Goldsmith’s comments came in response to Asif’s explanation of Jewish matrilineal descent, which he had discussed in the context of questions surrounding the religious identity of Imran Khan’s sons.
Goldsmith Says Her Jewish Identity Has Not Been Recognised
Goldsmith also referred to the distinction between Jewish ancestry and Jewish religious identity.
She said her family background meant that she had never been recognised as Jewish by the Jewish community, despite having Jewish ancestry on her father’s side.
Previous reporting has described Goldsmith as having Jewish heritage through her paternal family while noting that she was raised in an Anglican Christian environment. Her Jewish background has repeatedly featured in political debates surrounding her former marriage to Imran Khan.
The issue has historically attracted controversy in Pakistan, where Goldsmith’s ancestry was cited by political opponents of Khan in claims concerning his alleged links to Jewish organisations. Reports have also noted that Khan’s critics used her background as part of political attacks against him.
Goldsmith Accuses Minister of Targeting Her Sons
Goldsmith further criticised Asif over what she described as an attempt to undermine her sons.
“As ever, in attempting to undermine my sons, Pakistan’s defence minister has once again embarrassed himself,” she wrote.
Goldsmith was married to Imran Khan from 1995 until their divorce in 2004. The couple have two sons, Sulaiman and Kasim.
Her latest comments come amid continued public discussion in Pakistan surrounding Khan’s family and his sons’ relationship with the country.
What Is Jewish Matrilineal Descent?
The principle cited by Asif is known as matrilineal descent. Under traditional Jewish law, a person born to a Jewish mother is considered Jewish regardless of the religion of the father.
Asif said this tradition developed in a historical context in which maternity was considered certain while paternity could not always be established. He also referred to the absence of modern DNA testing when the principle developed.
However, approaches to Jewish identity can differ among Jewish movements. Traditional Jewish law follows maternal descent, while some modern Jewish movements, including Reform Judaism in the United States, recognise Jewish identity through either parent under certain conditions related to upbringing and identification.
Qasim Khan Also Responds
Goldsmith’s response was followed by a separate reaction from her son, Kasim Khan.
Kasim criticised Asif’s comments on X, arguing that the logic presented by the minister would also mean that his mother and her parents were not Jewish.
His response added another dimension to the debate, which has focused on the religious and ancestral background of Imran Khan’s family.
The exchange has once again brought Goldsmith’s family heritage and the question of Jewish identity into Pakistan’s political discourse, with Goldsmith and her son directly challenging the interpretation presented by the defence minister.
