India stands with Israel

To define Indo-Israeli friendship, the best Hindi word will be EKATMA (Soulful Unanimity). This friendship is all-weather, time tested and necessary also for world peace. Governments may have their limitations, constraints and at times different priorities, but it is the people who matter. India’s people stand with their brothers and sisters of Israel whenever their nation is under attack by the terrorist forces and in future also they will keep on doing so. In true democracies, governments, sooner or later, have to respect wishes expressed by the people and it can be stated with certainty that its people’s sentiments will be reflected in the Government of India’s diplomatic statements and action in support of Israel.

 

 

It is not that, as is general perception, there is partnership between Israel and India in security and strategic spheres only; there are strong engagements in the fields of culture, tourism and agriculture too. Owing to its foreign policy doctrines it devised during the cold war period, despite people’s strong goodwill for the state of Israel, Government of India did not have full fledged diplomatic relations with the former. However, people’s will prevailed and the embassy of Israel was established in New Delhi in the year 1992; before that consulate was functional in the city of Mumbai.

 

Similarly, today people of India have strong support for Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel; if not today then tomorrow GOI will have to respect people’s will and recognise the historic and venerable city as capital of Israel.

Even when there were no diplomatic relations between the two countries, on request of Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mrs. Golda Meir, the erstwhile Prime Minister of Israel sent required weapons to India during Indo-Pak war of 1971. Later, during Kargil war of the year 1999 when Pakistani infiltrators and troops had deceitfully occupied Indian posts, Indian jets did not have weapons which could be fired horizontally with precision on enemy posts which were existing at the heights of thirteen to fifteen thousand feet. Immediately laser guided missiles were supplied by Israel and war chroniclers vouch for the fact that the enemy had no option but to run away most disgracefully. In recent strikes on Balakot terrorist hideouts in Pakistan, Indian jets used Spice 2000 bombs supplied by Israel with surgical precision and more than three hundred terrorists were eliminated as a retribution for killing fourty para military personnel in Pulwama (Kashmir) by Pakistan sponsored terrorists. There is a lot of synergy going on between the two countries in the field of defence. There are programmes of joint production of defence equipment. The main focus of defence industrial cooperation will be on transfer of technology, co-development and co-production, technology security and Artificial Intelligence. There are plans of joint exports to third countries also. At present a whole range of Israeli weapon systems are being used by the Indian defence forces; this includes Barak missiles, AWACS and MRSAM Air defence system.

 

The Indo-Israeli Agriculture Project was launched in the year 2006. It is a G2G strategic partnership in the field of agriculture. Israeli agencies like MASHAV and CINADCO are coordinating with their counterpart Indian National Horticulture Mission. There are plans of creating multiple centres of excellence and till now more than twenty five COIs have been established.

 

There are very frequent cultural exchanges between the two countries; symposia and seminars are regularly organised by the Indo-Israeli forums. Hindu-Jew organisations are in forefront to enhance the goodwill between the two people. Tourists from Israel are a frequent sight in destinations across India. They are welcomed with open arms and are given the treatment befitting the people, from a brother country. Whether it is Goa, a beach resort, or Kasol, a small village in Himachal Pradesh, an Himalayan state in India, Israelis say they do not find themselves treated as outsiders.

 

Indian Jews who have migrated to Israel are a perfect blend of two cultures and messengers of goodwill which India harbours towards Israelis. There is a steady increase in the number of tourists visiting Israel from India. Recently, a Bollywood film also has been shot in Israel which aroused curiosity among the viewers about the land of many hues. It is expected that keeping in view ever growing trade relations between the two countries, the number of visitors from India will grow manifold. Unfortunately, both the countries are under constant threat of terrorist forces which have the same ideological moorings. When the Pakistani terrorists attacked the city of Mumbai on 26/11 in the year 2008, one hundred sixty six innocent lives were lost, six Jews were among them. The terrorists knew that the Chabad house in the Colaba area had Jew residents and while attacking other areas of the city, unleashed havoc there also.

 

It is clear beyond doubt that the fight against terrorism has to be fought together by both the countries. Today when Hamas and Hezbollah have activated their terrorist machinery against the people of Israel, Indians are standing steadfastly with their Israeli friends. Iran is the country which is responsible for funding,arming and equipping both the aforesaid terrorist outfits. The barrage of Katyusha and other rockets, launched by Hamas on Israel, have been supplied by Iran; it is an open secret. It is high time that the world community should condemn the terrorist sponsoring state of Iran and ensure stoppage of war material from the said state to the terrorist organisations. On its part, the Government of India too should denounce the activities of Iran and ask it to desist from its support to the organisations which remain a constant danger to world peace.

 

Iran has proved that it is no friend of India; it has cancelled the Chabahar-Zahedan rail link project earlier awarded to India. India has huge strategic interests in Chabahar bracause the said port is a gateway to Central Asia through Afghanistan and acts as a countermeasure to Chinese sponsored port of Gwadar in Pakistan. Moreover, recently, Iran has backed out of a three billion dollars gas supplying deal with India. In the Indian territory of Gilgit- Baltistan which is illegally occupied by Pakistan, there is no support from Iran for the persecuted Shia majority population of that area. The Government of India will do better to reprimand Iran especially when supply of weapons by this country to the terrorist forces like Hamas is threatening world peace.

 

It can be stated positively that the EKATMA of Indo-Israeli bonding will be instrumental in thwarting constant terrorist threats to both the countries and together they will lead the world on a path of coexistence.

 

Shalom Namaste!

 

The writer is an Author, Columnist, Documentary Film Producer