India's Tango with Israel
As has been rightly noted by Ramachandran in a Frontline article -
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20090522261003000.htm
"India-Israel cooperation actually began with the visit of Shimon Peres, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ISRO on January 9, 2002, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was at the Center. A few months later, an umbrella space cooperation agreement was signed, the details of which are not known.
In 2003, then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited India, the first Israeli Prime Minister to do so. This was soon followed by another space cooperation agreement in 2003 when the then ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan visited Israel."
If one goes further back in history, one would know that after spending decades in isolation, India opened up to foreign business since the time of Rajiv Gandhi. When over the next few years, the country became more and more uncomfortable with its charade of secularism and came to openly embrace Hindu fundamentalism, it was a question of time when Gandhi's India (who chastised Zionism) would make that full transformation as an ally of the rogue state of Israel. In the mean time, scores of Muslim and non-Hindu historical places, most notable of which is the Babri Mosque, were demolished and Muslim and Christian citizens of the country slaughtered like cows. In this orgy of violence and destruction, there was hardly any difference between the Hindu chauvinist BJP and the secular Congress Party. If one looks at the ruling Likud and Labor or Kadima (in the middle), one finds a striking similarity there in Israel, too.
With 9/11 and the neo-conservative agenda for the Muslim world, it did not take much soul-searching for Indian leaders to open their doors for war criminals like Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanayahu and Ariel Sharon to India. Thus, came the trilateral defense pact with the USA and Israel, let alone the economic ones that had already preceded. The joint US-Israel forces have been training the Indian forces on not only how to crush people's aspirations for freedom in Kashmir but also in troubled north-eastern states. The Indian RAW is known for providing help to the LTTE forces to destabilize Sri Lanka. The RAW is also accused of trying to destabilize Bangladesh.
Many analysts blame Mossad for engineering the Taj Hotel terrorism. The goal was to pull India so as to make her a full partner with Israel, much like what had happened with the USA in the aftermath of 9/11. Having a reliable regional partner to the east allows Israel to have other options open should the rogue nation want to use bases inside India for its unlawful attacks inside Muslim countries like Iran and Pakistan.
As India embraces its destiny as a regional hegemonic power, we can only expect her to seal similar deals and cooperation with other militaristic countries. I wish our policy planners in Bangladesh are thinking seriously on implications of such deals of the neighbor. Does such cooperation on technology transfer compromise our own security and make us more vulnerable? If yes, what is the best course of action our nation need to take?
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20090522261003000.htm
"India-Israel cooperation actually began with the visit of Shimon Peres, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ISRO on January 9, 2002, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was at the Center. A few months later, an umbrella space cooperation agreement was signed, the details of which are not known.
In 2003, then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited India, the first Israeli Prime Minister to do so. This was soon followed by another space cooperation agreement in 2003 when the then ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan visited Israel."
If one goes further back in history, one would know that after spending decades in isolation, India opened up to foreign business since the time of Rajiv Gandhi. When over the next few years, the country became more and more uncomfortable with its charade of secularism and came to openly embrace Hindu fundamentalism, it was a question of time when Gandhi's India (who chastised Zionism) would make that full transformation as an ally of the rogue state of Israel. In the mean time, scores of Muslim and non-Hindu historical places, most notable of which is the Babri Mosque, were demolished and Muslim and Christian citizens of the country slaughtered like cows. In this orgy of violence and destruction, there was hardly any difference between the Hindu chauvinist BJP and the secular Congress Party. If one looks at the ruling Likud and Labor or Kadima (in the middle), one finds a striking similarity there in Israel, too.
With 9/11 and the neo-conservative agenda for the Muslim world, it did not take much soul-searching for Indian leaders to open their doors for war criminals like Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanayahu and Ariel Sharon to India. Thus, came the trilateral defense pact with the USA and Israel, let alone the economic ones that had already preceded. The joint US-Israel forces have been training the Indian forces on not only how to crush people's aspirations for freedom in Kashmir but also in troubled north-eastern states. The Indian RAW is known for providing help to the LTTE forces to destabilize Sri Lanka. The RAW is also accused of trying to destabilize Bangladesh.
Many analysts blame Mossad for engineering the Taj Hotel terrorism. The goal was to pull India so as to make her a full partner with Israel, much like what had happened with the USA in the aftermath of 9/11. Having a reliable regional partner to the east allows Israel to have other options open should the rogue nation want to use bases inside India for its unlawful attacks inside Muslim countries like Iran and Pakistan.
As India embraces its destiny as a regional hegemonic power, we can only expect her to seal similar deals and cooperation with other militaristic countries. I wish our policy planners in Bangladesh are thinking seriously on implications of such deals of the neighbor. Does such cooperation on technology transfer compromise our own security and make us more vulnerable? If yes, what is the best course of action our nation need to take?
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