Daily Times

Modi’s visit to Israel on July 4, 2017 hit the headlines of national and international newspapers. It was a historic step forward since it was the first ever visit by Indian premier to the land of Zionists ever since the two countries forged full diplomatic ties back in 1992.  Modi was given an unparalleled reception by his Israeli counterpart. During the visit, there was love in the air and by the sea; the two leaders made waves by walking barefoot on the beach and even exchanged handwritten notes. This amicable engagement between the two heads of the country culminated into the signing of a series of arms deals that totaled to over $2.6 billion– making Israel the second largest supplier of arms to India. Furthermore, Israeli PM Netanyahu, nicknamed as Bi Bi,billed the relationship between the two countries as a “marriage made in heaven but implemented here on earth”.  The visit was reciprocated by Netanyahu in January 2018, Modi welcomed his good friend at the airport with warm hugs; tweets of mutual admiration and compliments followed. This is how the bromance between Modi and the Bi Bi began. This renewed vigor in the bilateral relationship of the two countries has resulted in the emergence of a formidable strategic partnership which is, according to defense analysts, for sure, likely to disturb the balance of power in the region and thereby accelerate arms.

Chronologically, the relation between the two countries had remained strained. They were once ideological opponents. India did not even recognise Israel for two years when it declared its independence in 1948 and long viewed it with suspicion on the grounds that it was a religious ethno state. India, instead, allied with Palestine and believed that the partition was a colonial imposition. India did eventually recognise Israel in 1950 but did not cultivate full diplomatic relations with her. On the contrary, India joined NAM (Non aligned-movement), a movement that was extending exhaustive support to the PLO (Palestine liberation organisation); which was considered a terrorist threat by Israel.

Despite being non-aligned to any power, India was, in fact, tilted towards the Soviet Union while Pakistan was courting the US for economic and military succor. After the collapse of the bipolar order and the dismemberment of the Soviet Union in 1991, India changed its economic and strategic direction and therefore started wooing the US for economic and military backing. Here came the turning point; when Americans told the Indians that if they wanted a close relationship with Washington D.C. they first have to make up with Israel.In other words, the road to Washington DC had to go through Tel Aviv. India, whilst complying with the command of America, formally laid down the foundation of its diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 and this finally led to the opening of the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. In 2003, with the visit of PM Ariel Sharon, relations between India and Israel started evolving publically.

Now, with Bi Bi -Modi bromance, the relation between the two countries has touched new heights. The Bi-Bi-Modi duo is literally a lethal combination generally for the Muslim world and particularly for Pakistan as it is not merely a friendship between two souls but a merger of two poisonous ideologies called Zionism and Hindutva that promote antipathy towards Muslims. Its practical manifestation can be seen in Kashmir and Palestine respectively where India and Israel have subjected Muslims to inhuman treatment.

An almost similar concern was voiced by ex-chairman senate Mian Raza Rabbani. Leading a delegation of senators at the 13th session of parliamentary union of Islamic countries (PUIC) in Iran, Rabbani said. “There is a changing world scenario in which a nexus among the US, Israel and India  is emerging and the Muslim Ummah needs unity to deal with  this because today it is Pakistan and Iran  tomorrow it can be any other country.”

Pakistan, therefore, needs to be cautious and keep a sharp eye on every overt and covert move made by her adversaries. It is now an open secret that Israel always worked in collusion with India to destabilise Pakistan. It also put its due share in the creation of Bangladesh. In his book 1971: A Global History of Creation of Bangladesh, Srinath Raghvan records that India acquired  arms from Israel in the 14-days  war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Moreover, there are many instances which can be cited here to substantiate the claim that both India and Israel have formed a synergy to further their Machiavellian interests in the region.

The Americans told the Indians that if they wanted a close relationship with Washington D.C. they first have to make up with Israel. In other words, the road to Washington DC had to go through Tel Aviv

When Pakistani troops took positions in Kargil in 1999, one of the first things that Indian military sought was GPS data for the region. The space based navigation system maintained by the US government would have provided vital information, but the US denied it to India. Israel stepped in with unmanned reconnaissance air craft or drones in the battle zones to assist India directly in its war efforts.  India was also promptly provided with laser guided missiles for its Mirages from Israel. In June 1999, the precision strikes from the Mirage limited the advantage of the Pakistani soldiers based on high positions and helped turn the conflict in India’s favor.

In addition, it is now an axiomatic fact that RAW and Mossad have formed a joint venture to advance their mutual interests not only in the region but also in whole world. This venture was established to share intelligence, fight terrorism as well as a counter balance to the Pakistan-China nexus. Here are two corroborative evidences in this regard; first, RAW agents purchased flats and facilitated safe houses for Mossad agents in different countries and the second, Mossad protected Modi during his visit to Turkey. The Mossad agents had been called in to provide additional cover to Modi’s security, composed of India’s special protection groups from India’s secret agents from RAW and IB.

Furthermore, on the diplomatic front, India abstained on a United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHCR) resolution condemning Israel over UN report into the alleged war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict– marking  a significant change in India’s  stance. Earlier India used to back these type of resolutions. Another noteworthy diplomatic overture between the two countries was seen when India came under severe criticism as well as diplomatic pressure from the international community after conducting Pokhran-II nuclear states in 1998.  UNSC resolution 1172 was adopted unanimously on June 6 to condemn the test. Israel was one of the few nations that did not condemn India.

Apart from this, defense and strategic cooperation between the two countries is also deepening with each passing day. As mentioned earlier, India is the second largest supplier of arms to Israel. To add, Barak 8 which is an Indo-Israel surface-to-air Missile (SAM) is designed by Israel Aerospace Industries& India’s defense Research and development organization (DRDDO).  Manufacturing is done by Raefel Advanced Defense systems and Bharat dynamic limited. It is considered to be one of the most potent air defense systems in the world. It is designed to defend against any type of airborne threat which includes air craft, helicopters and unmanned drones. It can intercept incoming missile at ranges as close as 0.5 KM, up to a range of 90 KM. Inter alia, arms deal between India and Israel also include: Spice 2000 bombs and laser-designations pods. This system is capable of GPS guided precision targeting and “Spike “anti-Tank Guided missile system. It is a man-portable fire-and- forget anti-tank personnel guided missile with tandem-charged Heat warhead. It has a range of 4 KM. Last but not least, Phalcon   AWACS (Airborne Warning and control system), The AWACS are basically Israeli early warning radar suites mounted on Russian IL-76 transport aircrafts.

To conclude, given the military and strategic preparedness of the two chronic enemies (India and Israel), Pakistan should leave no stone unturned to upgrade and strengthen its defense system and for this China and Russia are the best options. It should also focus on the diplomatic moves of both countries and formulate a well-orchestrated strategy to counter them effectively in diplomatic arena.

Published in Daily Times, February 6^th 2019.