20 years ahead

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel,it is a mark of the distance that relationship has travelled that External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishnas visit to Israel the first by an Indian foreign minister since 2000 does not need that anniversary as a pretext,although it definitely is the context. For,Krishna is also visiting other West Asian countries that have existed within and around the tumult of the Arab Spring. But,more significantly,Indo-Israeli ties have got a momentum of their own which sustains them despite diplomatic nuances and differences,and extends them much beyond defence and security cooperation and perception of common threats.

However,looking for a pretext has conditioned visits to Israel by Indian officials. And Krishnas visit gains in contrast against what seemed like the Congress partys return to its old ideological posturing of the 1970s,which delayed its response to the Arab Spring. The continued emphasis on being equidistant,on not choosing sides in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute,misses the fact that Indias relations with Israel have grown independent of its traditional and continued support for a Palestinian state,as they have of its ties with Arab states. The either-or,Arab-Israeli binary is redundant. While Krishnas agenda in addition to building on Israels status as Indias second largest defence supplier includes the FTA in the pipeline that could lift bilateral trade to 15 billion from the current 5 bn and looks to further partnership with Israel in agriculture,he is also meeting Palestinian leaders to reiterate Indias old commitment and offer developmental aid. Yet,neither relationship is an excuse for balancing the other.

Recent developments have been rapidly altering the political reality in the Middle East. To continue to look through the prism of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is to reduce the Middle East,where the Shia-Sunni,Riyadh-Tehran tensions,or the internal democratic struggles,make for many more tragedies. This is a moment when India should engage with major Middle Eastern players,because that is what major powers with large stakes in a region do. Not only are Dubai and Riyadh important for two-way investments for India,but India is more dependent on Gulf oil today than the US. After 20 years of diplomatic relations,with a promising future of partnership,the stability of the Middle East is a necessity and responsibility India shares right now with Israel,and with its neighbours.