As Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut short his India visit to fly home where suicide bombers struck in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, India and Israel, calling themselves ‘‘victims of terrorism’’, tonight hit out at countries aiding and abetting terrorism across borders.Declaring their resolve to be partners in the battle against terrorism, the countries called upon the international community to take ‘‘decisive action’’ against this global scourge.The ‘‘Delhi statement on friendship and cooperation between India and Israel,’’ issued at the end of Sharon’s curtailed visit, condemned states and individuals who aided and abetted terrorism across borders, harboured and provided sanctuary to terrorists besides giving financial means, training or patronage.The 18-point declaration said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had accepted ‘‘with pleasure’’ Sharon’s invitation to visit Israel.Seeking ‘‘just and durable’’ peace in the Middle East, the two countries called for complete cessation of violence so that a conducive environment was created for continuation of the dialogue.‘‘Terrorism undermines the very foundation of freedom and democracy, endangers the continued existence of popular and democratic societies and constitutes a global threat. Therefore, there cannot be any compromise in the war against terrorist.’’ ‘‘Together with the international community and as victims of terrorism, Israel and India are partners in the battle against this scourge,’’ the joint statement said.Israeli sources said that among the decisions Sharon is expected to take when he returns home is the expulsion of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from Gaza, hunting down the Hamas and expanding the relationship with India that he has personally promised to oversee.‘‘For the sake of genuine durable peace, we are prepared to make painful compromises,’’ Sharon told a packed meeting of industrialists organised by FICCI-CII, adding, ‘‘but we will never compromise with terror.’’The Israeli PM also categorically ruled out any forward movement on the US-backed road map ‘‘until there was a full cessation of hostilities from the Palestinian side.’’ Nevertheless, the Israeli PM was full of warmth and praise for his Indian hosts, stressing that New Delhi had gone out of its way to welcome him here. ‘‘It has been a too small taste of India, but I hope to strengthen this relationship. Between India and Israel, there are no democracies. We are the only one in our part of the world. If there were more, we could have taken more risks,’’ he said. The Israeli side also seemed quite pleased that New Delhi did not once raise the Israeli presence in the Palestinian territories or describe it as an ‘‘occupation.’’ Evidently, the Indian delegation only generally mentioned that it continued to abide by UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 which call for an end to Israeli ‘‘occupation.’’ Israeli sources said they had the impression that the Indian leadership was saying it more as a matter of record. On the other hand, senior Israeli sources, accompanying their Prime Minister, said Sharon was convinced that Yasser Arafat was ‘‘using terror as a part of political negotiations with Israel and that he was the main obstacle that prevented the return of peace in the region.’’ They also accused Arafat of practically forcing Palestinian prime minister Abu Mazen to resign because he was seeking to act against Palestinian terror organisations. ‘‘God help that peace returns to our region,’’ the Israeli sources said, stressing that Sharon had decided to act against terrorist organisations ‘‘as long as the Palestinian Authority failed to do so.’’In his blunt and forthright manner, Sharon also pointed out at the FICCI-CII meeting that he ‘‘believed in reciprocity,’’ that Israel wanted to learn from other countries as well as ‘‘share our knowhow.’’The Israeli sources explained that Sharon wanted India to completely end its opposition to Israel while voting at the UN, even as he appreciated that New Delhi was no longer initiating the movement of any anti-Israeli resolutions. But it was the spectre of terror that dominated the day’s proceedings, with Sharon returning again and again to the theme, Prime Minister Vajpayee calling him to condole the attacks in Israel and the Israeli side insisting Sharon would never make any concessions, ‘‘not now, not ever.’’ Interestingly, the sources said there was ‘‘no difference’’ between the Indian and Israeli definitions of terror, although Indian sources said New Delhi was certainly not about to ‘‘take the fight to root out terrorist camps across the Line of Control’’ as Israel was doing all the time with Palestine.The Israeli sources said they also appreciated India’s commitment that it would not pass on any expertise or hardware that it got from Israel to Iran, stressing that Iran was ‘‘Israel’s worst enemy.’’ They said Indian officials had assured them that they would not do so and that their interest in Iran was primarily rooted in Afghanistan.
