Unnecessarily apologetic

Although India's relationship with Israel has grown in importance, New Delhi is still remarkably diffident about admitting it. This is a ...

Although India8217;s relationship with Israel has grown in importance, New Delhi is still remarkably diffident about admitting it. This is a pity. India8217;s National Security Adviser who is also a key figure in the Prime Minister8217;s Office, goes off to Israel and may be planning to meet Israel8217;s new Prime Minister Ehud Barak as also the defence, foreign and technology ministers, and the first anyone in this country hears about it is from Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper. It is a peculiar way to conduct diplomatic relations to keep such a trip under wraps. With the resumption of formal diplomatic contacts several years ago it was expected that the Ministry of External Affairs would be more comfortable steering through the treacherous waters of West Asian politics. But this would not seem to be the case. An assured touch is still missing.

Why was there no routine briefing by the MEA spokesperson about Brajesh Mishra8217;s visit? Could it be an omission because the MEA, careful not to step on anyone else8217;s turf, was waitingfor the office of the NSA to make the announcement, and vice versa? It is possible but not probable. Even though bureaucratic empires are quite vast in New Delhi, it is not as if all communication between them has broken down as yet. Between them, the MEA and the PMO have always managed to let it be known when Mishra flew off to London or Paris. So, the only explanation is, New Delhi prefers not to advertise its contacts with Israel. Why? If it is because of the fear of misunderstandings in the Arab world, that is timorous, foolish and quite unnecessary. Perhaps the government is reluctant to reveal its defence technology procurement plans. However, once news of the trip gets out as it inevitably will, the attempt at secrecy draws sharper attention to the shopping expedition as well as New Delhi8217;s sensitivities. The government should ask itself whom it is trying to keep in the dark; it is most likely the Indian public because foreign military experts do not need MEA briefings to learn about shoppinglists.

The essence of the matter is the India-Israel relationship has grown in importance because it is based on very practical considerations. After decades, Israel is happy to end its isolation and have all possible doors open to it especially in the developing world where there are enormous opportunities for trade. For India, Israel is a source of high-technology in many, including defence-related, industries and it is evidently even more vital after post-Pokharan sanctions cut off other potential suppliers. There are fruitful exchanges in agriculture and horticulture. A shared interest exists in countering international terrorism and sharing intelligence. What has not been achieved at the political level because of the uncertainties in the Middle East peace process, is more than made up for by the closeness in these other areas. It shows India in a poor light when it is unwilling to acknowledge the importance of the relationship. Why be apologetic about pursuing the country8217;s interests?