India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had very little interest in developing good relations with Israel; the Non-Aligned approach of Nehru had ended him criticizing Israel on the issue of Partition, the Sinai conflict and one which didn’t allow Israel to join the Non Aligned movement. He eventually took the side of the Arab nations for “unknown reasons”.
Mrs. Indira Gandhi like her father was in favor of supporting the Arab Nations over Israel, she ended up criticizing Israel on the Six Day war, started active relations with Palestine Liberation Organization, aggressively condemned Israel on the Lebanon war but later became sensitive towards Israel and quietly started back channel diplomacy with Israel. Her son and successor Rajiv Gandhi extended the back channel diplomacy which lead to some economic engagement and eventually improved relations with Israel.
It was P. V. Narasimha Rao (who was Foreign Minister under Indira Gandhi) under whose leadership as the PM from 1991-96 that the India-Israel relationship was made official and ended up taking it to the next level. The NDA-1 Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee proactively took forward the relations with Israel. Deputy PM LK Advani and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh visited Israel which was reciprocated by Shimon Peres visiting India in 2000 and Ariel Sharon becoming the first Israeli Prime Minister EVER to visit India in 2003. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also continued the relationship but their vote bank always prevented the UPA-1 and 2 Government from doing anything publically.
More recently, reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in the next few months were followed by opinions and columns in the mainstream media that asserted that this visit was a bad foreign policy decision, how it would damage the image of India around the world, how Islamic countries who have good relations with India would be offended by it and how this visit would offend the sentiments of Indian Muslims!!!
And the list is endless…
What is this so called “Foreign Policy” that Indian Liberal left oriented intellectuals are espousing? For over 60 years, India’s foreign policy has had its up and downs amidst the Cold War, Non-Aligned Movements, Nehruvian Idealism, wars with Pakistan and China, the break-up of Soviet Union and now at the crosshairs of America’s ‘War on Terror’.
It is hard for any nation to define its approach towards Foreign Policy in few sentences and for a complex country such as India it is almost impossible to define its foreign policy looking from the prism of post-independent approach unless one adopts the “India First” approach. Foreign Policy can be encapsulated by comprehending the short term and long term effects of the below questions.
- Who is our friend?
- Who is our enemy?
- Who is our frenemy?
- Do our friends make us stronger or weaker?
- Do our enemies make us stronger or weaker?
- Are our frenemies maverick, will their actions be an advantage or a liability?
- Can ethics and morals be a factor to make friends and enemies?
Let’s address some of the concerns raised predominantly by Left Liberal intelligentsia with regard to the news reports of Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel.
Concern 1: According to these Left Liberals and Lutyens columnists, it seems that Indian Muslims would be offended by Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel – Does this concern hold any intellectual value? Or for that matter does this argument have any logic apart from their hidden agenda of raising unnecessary doubts in Indian Muslims?
Why would Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel offend Indian Muslims? Will Indian Muslims get offended if PM visits China when there is ongoing strife with Islamic secessionists in Xinjiang? Will Indian Muslims get offended if PM visits Burma amidst the Rohingya crisis? Will Indian Muslims get offended if PM visits Saudi Arabia or Iran when both these countries are involved directly in the Yemen crisis? Will Indian Muslims get offended if PM visits Russia, over comments of Russia on the Armenian Genocide?
Indian Communists and Left Liberals have been using the Israeli-Palestine conflict for a very long time to score political and ideological points by flaming unnecessary passions. Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel will not offend Indian Muslims in any way.
Concern2: It’s understandable when unknown entities talk about losing friends or about friction with Islamic nations if an Indian PM Visits Israel but it is frustrating to listen about the same from people who have some basic idea of current world affairs and the compulsions of foreign policy.
Who are our Islamic friends? Is it Saudi Arabia? Iran, NATO partner Turkey? Small gulf nations? Or at least Palestine?
There is definitely no clear answer to the above question; the Saudi king has visited India many times, Iranian supreme leader was a Republic Day guest, we have on and off relations with Turkey, moderate economic relations with gulf nations, we have supported the cause of Palestine for a long time but almost all the influential Islamic nations have voted against India in the UN on Kashmir, many of them have supported Pakistan on many issues and many nations were and continue to be hostile to India’s concerns of growing Islamic terrorism. India doesn’t have permanent or long standing friendship with Islamic nations. It would be silly to think that India will pay a heavy price if Narendra Modi or any Indian Prime Minister visits Israel.
Concern 3: Visit to Israel a bad foreign policy decision?
There is hardly any negative impact on the economy if Narendra Modi visits Israel but it is ‘moral high ground’ which is being put forward on account of the Israel-Palestine conflict that seems to be the reason behind calling this a bad foreign policy decision. By accepting all morals and ethics and putting them in perspective, any unbiased nation would support Israel over Hamas to defend its territory when attacked.
Left Liberals and Communists go into mode of self-induced amnesia when ‘morals and ethics’ have to be applied with Pakistan over Kashmir. Israel has been asked to take responsibility over Human Rights violations by many Indian Left Liberal intelligentsias ignoring the same violations by Hamas and many other organizations.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, China, Russia and many others have been accused of Human Right violations leaving Israel far behind in the race but there is no criticism whatsoever when Indian government tries to pursue good relations with these countries but Left Liberals sing the tune of ‘Morals and Ethics’ when it comes to Israel.
South Block may be accused of being unreceptive or not being forthcoming with Israel, but Indian foreign policy has been sensible and has managed to secure many friends without buckling to pressures from world powers on NPT, CTBT and many other issues. When economic sanctions were imposed on Iran, India refused to follow them and continued its oil export. India was vocal and was against any military action in Libya and Syria. India supported Russia on the Ukraine crisis snubbing America and the European Union.
Perhaps India is the only nation which has not persecuted Jews; there have never been any instances of Anti-Semitism in Ancient or Modern India. Israel has been a friend to India for a very long time, Israel helped India in 1971 and the 1999 wars. It is helping India in every which way it can- Agriculture, Industry, Military Procurement and Intelligence sharing.
It would be cowardice if the Indian government moves backward on relations with Israel. India’s stand on Palestine and other issues related to Israel would depend on the sagacity of the Indian Government which hopefully doesn’t fall prey to vote-bank politics or new found love with anything. A pragmatic approach and issue based relationship is a good way to move forward without being over excited or over cautious.
India didn’t pursue its relationship with Israel judiciously in the past and although official relations started in 1991, it’s now high time India develops full diplomatic relations with Israel; Not the Mannequin diplomacy which we have seen for many decades. It’s imperative for the present government to adjust and maintain a foreign policy which is based on merits and making sure that foreign policy isn’t hijacked or sabotaged by rabid ideologues supported by the claques of Left Liberal intelligentsia.
“I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.” ~ Swami Vivekananda.
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