The U.S. is not the only player and pal on the playing field.
India is truly a wonderful ally of the Jewish state, and is a partnership that will truly prove beneficial to both nations. If not for inherent Islamic anti-Semitism (that is alien to the Hindi nation except in their Muslim communities), the Middle East would be teeming with economic opportunities and a have a bright future.
HIGH-TECH MARRIAGE, MADE IN HEAVEN
Even though the India-Israel relationship has remained low-key, both countries now have leaders at the helm who truly appreciate the benefit of better bilateral ties and are sincerely keen on developing them
The India-Israel relationship which is already warm and robust, is a rapidly growing work-in-progress, grounded in strong foundations of two proud people, united in shared values of democracy, tradition and innovation. In this context, the meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday on the sidelines of the UNGA was historic and ground changing, putting the two nations on a turbo trajectory.
This was the first meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Israel in 11 years, signifying the importance both these leaders attach to cultivating this relationship. It is noteworthy that this was also Mr Netanyahu’s first meeting with any world leader upon arriving in the United States for the UN. As for Mr Modi, there is no doubt that he gets the India-Israel dynamic — He gets how special this relationship is and the prospect that even stronger ties, especially in trade, would be a clear win-win outcome for both nations.
Sunday’s meeting was predominantly focused on increased trade, diplomatic and defense ties between the two nations, and Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Avigdor Lieberman, who met on Wednesday, expectedly followed-up on the broad proposals discussed between the two Prime Ministers with more specific deals and timeframes.
Two areas received special attention. First, water and agriculture technology: Here, Israel is a world leader and there is a real demand for its know-how in India. Second, defence cooperation: Within this sector, there was special focus on cyber-security, which both leaders identified as a key strategic threat and where both nations have much experience and technology to offer. Mr Netanyahu even extended an offer for India to participate in a joint cyber-defence project, which would unite both the military and civilian high-tech defence sectors. India is already one of Israel’s most important trade partners in defense. In fact, at the same time as the two Prime Ministers were meeting, the ink was just set on an Indian Navy purchase of advanced Israeli missiles from leading Israeli defence company Rafael, in a $143 million deal.
When Israel and India established full diplomatic relations in 1992, bilateral trade was $200 million. Today it is $6 billion. If the current trajectory is continued, by 2020, two-way trade can surpass $10 billion. This has been the culmination of a lot of behind the scenes work and effort from the respective foreign and trade ministries. And even though the India-Israel relationship has remained low-key, both countries now have, at the helm, leaders who truly appreciate the benefit of better bilateral ties and are sincerely keen on developing this.
More here. H/T: GS
