Experts of both countries feel that PM’s visit can boost defence, agriculture and economic relations
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes a historic three-day trip to Israel, experts here have expressed confidence that the visit will have a significant impact on diplomatic and strategic ties between the two countries. Coinciding with the visit, India’s premier strategic think tank the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in Delhi on Monday released a special issue of Strategic Analysis, the bi-monthly journal, on ‘India-Israel Relations at 25’, edited by its Director General, Jayant Prasad.
Interestingly, Israel is also celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations with China.
Modi, in an interview to an Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, said that the two countries were ready to “take the relationship to a new level”, calling Israel a “technological powerhouse.”
Former foreign secretary Ambassador Shyam Saran said the PM has successfully walked a fine line amid the region’s turmoil, advancing India’s interests between Iran, the Gulf kingdoms and Israel. “Previous governments had recognised the importance of these countries to India’s economic and security interests, but there was a certain diffidence born out of a reluctance to be drawn into the region’s often volatile and fractious politics. This diffidence is now a thing of the past and Modi appears to have successfully walked a fine line,” he said.
Speaking on India–Israel defence and security ties, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne (Retd), observed that interactions between the two nations over the past seven decades reflect instances of congruence of interests shaping a mutually beneficial partnership. He added that defence ties are not limited to a buyer-seller relationship, but involve co-development and co-production projects.
Professor PR Kumaraswamy, JNU, said that a crucial aspect of bilateral relations has been Israel’s ability to utilise the federal system in India to its advantage by actively engaging with various state governments. “As a result, cooperation in the fields of agriculture and water management, among others, has emerged as the principal tool in the promotion of Indo-Israeli relations,” he added.
Professor Efraim Inbar of Bar Ilan University, Tel Aviv, hopes the visit will also boost interaction between the diaspora of both countries, particularly in the US, as that will be mutually beneficial.
...& ANALYSIS
- So far, India has been traditionally cautious in its dealings with Israel, partly because of wariness in upsetting Arab states and Iran, upon whom it relies for its vast imports of oil
- India had also been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, even as it quietly pursued ties with Israel.
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 "Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi")
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