India reaffirms commitment to the cause of Palestine

NEW DELHI:(Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008) India on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to the cause of Palestine and reiterated its support for a negotiated solution of the issue.

     “India believes that the solution should be based on the relevant U.N. Resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Quartet road map resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
    He was speaking at a ceremony held to lay the foundation stone for the Palestine chancery building here in the presence of Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
    Dr. Singh regretted that despite last year’s Annapolis Conference on peace in West Asia, in which India also took part, the goal of durable and comprehensive peace in the region still remained elusive.
      Besides discussing the West Asia peace process, the two leaders talked about ways of increasing cooperation between their countries. Dr. Singh said India would continue to do all it could to assist Palestine in all its endeavours, including in capacity and institution building.
     India and Palestine signed a memorandum of understanding to finance construction of a school, to be named the Jawaharlal Nehru High School, in Abu Dees near Jerusalem.
    Dr. Singh announced a $ 20-million grant (Rs. 90 crore) including $10 million in budgetary support to the Palestinian National Authority to help meet its immediate requirements and an additional $10 million as assistance for development projects.
    The visiting leader appreciated the gesture noting, “India is giving us support without us asking it” and said he was surprised to hear more announcements of aid coming whenever he visited New Delhi.
     Mr. Abbas said relations between India and Palestine were developing day by day. New Delhi’s gesture reflected its deep commitment and support that dated back to several decades. India was playing an important role in all fields including the peace process and the Palestinians appreciated New Delhi’s support.
    Referring to violence in occupied territories including Gaza, Dr. Singh said: “We are shocked and dismayed by the violence… we hope that wiser counsel will prevail and that the path of dialogue will remain the preferred path to realise peace in the region.”
     Later, President Pratibha Patil hosted a banquet in honour of Mr. Abbas. In her speech, she recalled India’s position on the Palestinian question and said its solidarity with the Palestine people had been unambiguously articulated since the days of its freedom struggle.
    “For India, commitment to the Palestinian cause has been an important part of foreign policy and has been manifested in the continuous and consistent support to its issues in the Non-Aligned Movement, in the United Nations and on other international fora.”
    Ms. Patil commended the indomitable spirit of the Palestine people and reaffirmed India’s principled and unwavering support to their just cause. “We have always considered that the conflict in West Asia is essentially political in nature and, therefore, cannot be resolved by force.”
  important link..............

Indo Israel nexus

The state of Israel came into being on May 14, 1948. Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister supported the creation of this Zionist state at the heart of Arab world. However, owing to its relationship with Arab world, India took some time in the formal recognition of Israel, and later recognized it in 1950. Besides, maintaining good relations with Arab world, India also maintained covert relationship with Israeli state. The former Israeli Defense and Foreign Minister, Moshe Dayan, is regarded as the linchpin of the Indo-Israeli relationship. Since he has also been the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, therefore, he propped up the politico-military dimension of the bilateral relation between India and Israel.

Moshe Dayan

Jswaharlal Nehru
Ever since 1950, both countries have been interacting covertly, while keeping their strapping bilateral relationship at low profile. It was only in 1992, that India established its formal diplomatic relationship with Israel. Thereafter, both countries are enjoying an excellent relationship at economic, military and strategic level. Both countries are considered to be the strongest and most trusted allies mainly based on common values and security interests. Apart from other fields, Indo-Israel military collaboration has rapidly expanded over the years. By 2009, bilateral Military trade between two countries has touched US$9 billion. Currently India is the largest customer of Israeli military hardware and second largest economic partner. Both are undertaking joint military exercises/ training and cooperating in space technology. With over 150 defence firms, including three major state’s owned firms (Israeli Arms Industry (IAI), Israel Military Industries (IMI) and the Rafael Arms Development Authority) Israeli defence economy generate 3.5 billion USD as annual revenue.
Indeed, Indian arms procurement from Israel has enabled it to become one of the world’s five top most arms
Phalcon Early Warning System of Indian Airforce
exporters. Some of the major Indian arms purchases from Israel include: Phalcon Advanced Airborne Early Warning Systems; Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; Green Pine early-warning and fire-control radars; Barak Naval anti-missile defence system; Upgradation of 130 mm M-46 field guns by Israeli firm Soltam; Super-Dvora Mk II fast attack craft and Star Night Technologies Night Vision Goggles. Besides, both countries have US$2.5 billion joint collaboration in Spider quick-reaction surface to air missile (55 km range). In 2006, Indian Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) concluded a five years contract of US$480 million for the development of missiles. This deal was later enhanced to 2.5 billion USD and included in its scope the missile development cooperation, which includes both air, and land based missile system. The deal also includes; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and satellites.
Heeron Unmaned Aircraft
While reciprocating, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has helped Israeli IAI in launching its five TechSAR radar satellite system. It is all weather, high-resolution radar satellite, which Israel is using for spying against Iran. It is worth mentioning that India and Iran are the strategic allies. Now India is also strengthening its strategic relationship with Arab world and Central Asian states. This indeed is a unique combination of establishing relationship with the enemy of Arabs and vice versa. India has already purchased four Phalcon early warning radar planes from Israel. It has been revealed that lobbying for this deal was done by; a coalition of US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), America-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) and American Jewish Committee (AJC). India also has acquired two Green Pine early warning and fire-control radars, which has the capability to detect and track the hostile missiles at a distance of over 500 Km.
It is also finalizing the deal for the procurement of Arrow-II anti-ballistic missile defence system, jointly developed by Israel and United States.
In the recent past, there have been extensive visits of Indian services chiefs to Israel and vice versa. Israel is playing a significant role in the up gradation of Indian Air Force (IAF). The US$6.5 billion deal, for the procurement of 126 multi-role combat aircraft for IAF, will have an “Israeli imprint”. It has been learnt that, “whichever fighter — F-16, F/A-18, Rafale, Typhoon or MIG-35 — is selected, the aircraft will be fitted with Israeli avionics”. Israel is also upgrading 300 T-72 MI tanks and BMP2 infantry combat vehicles for Indian Army. There have been a number of joint meetings of Indo-Israeli Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. Both countries are sharing intelligence through the close collaboration of MOSSAD and RAW.
In the recent years, there emerged another angle of this collaboration. This angle includes; the Indo-Israel joint collaboration with Afghanistan. In the garb of re-construction, India has already made lot of inroads and investment in Afghanistan. In order to lure in the Afghan masses and Afghan National Army (ANA), India has started lot of developmental projects in Afghanistan. Over 90 vacancies were allotted to the officers of ANA for training in India during 2009-10. Presently 27 officers and 37 cadets are undergoing training in India. In April 09, India offered to train 129 senior officers of ANA. India has promised to provide 450 military vehicles of all types to Afghanistan during the ANA Chief of General Staff’s visit to India in July 2009.
In collaboration with India, an Afghan Military delegation comprising of Afghan Defence Minister and high ranking Military officers paid a visit to Tel Aviv in July 2009. In connection with modernization of Afghan Army and to counter the Taliban threat, the visiting Defence Minister asked Israeli defence establishment to render maximum assistance. The host military establishment promised the Afghan delegation for the provision of a number of modern weaponry. The promised equipment include; ‘SUFA’ jeeps (armoured version) to Afghan military for US$1 billion. Besides, US Army in Afghanistan is purchasing armoured vehicles made by two other Israeli firms named “Arotech” and “Kibbutz Sasa”. Israeli IT/Telecommunication firm named “Radwin” will collaborate with British Military operating in Afghanistan to deliver wireless broad-based technologies to facilitate British troop’s communication in Afghanistan. Radwin has been selected for this job in Afghanistan due to its high-capacity 2000 technology to address the overload problems in the existing system. The firm reportedly will also monitor the signals communications of Pakistan Army operating near Pak-Afghan border.
Otherwise, there is a reported presence of Israelis-MOSSAD operatives particularly in the northern and northwestern provinces of Afghanistan, bordering Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Most of these elements are having dual nationalities and passports of countries other than Israel, using US and UK passports to conceal identity. Owing to its excellent performance, Australia has acquired Israeli Aerial vehicles (UAVs) named Heron for use in Afghanistan. Meanwhile Germany has also struck a deal with Israel to acquire 4x UAVs by the end of May 2010 for exclusive use by German Forces in Afghanistan. Canada and Spain are already using Israeli UAVs in Afghanistan.
Indeed, the Indo-Israel collaboration with Afghanistan is aimed to; enhance ingress in Afghan society specially the youth and political leadership to shape their mindset against Pakistan. Furthermore, it is designed to make ingress in ANA for stimulating them to act against Pakistan for creating a threat on our western borders. It also aims at further reinforcing the RAW network to destabilize Pakistan through covert intelligence operations. RAW and MOSSAD along with Northern Alliance and Afghan intelligence set up are helping anti Pakistan terrorists and extremists to destabilize Pakistan and project her as a state unable to protect her strategic assets.
The massive Indian investment in Afghanistan is aimed at a long term gains to encircle Pakistan. It is pertinent to note that Indian defense collaboration with ANA has not been able to guarantee the security of Afghanistan, but it has destabilized Pakistan to the utmost. In the same way, Israeli collaboration with Afghanistan is aimed to selling defense products and intelligence gathering with the help of occupation forces and India with multiple objectives.
Through Indo-Israel nexuses, both countries are finding new markets for their defence products. Along with their major allies, both are for a hunt to secure strategically and economically significant areas. The geo-political location of Afghanistan provides such a leverage. It would give Israel, sufficient space to manipulate against Iran, whom Israel considers as its stanch enemy. The location would also give them a capability to block any future integration of the Muslims by implanting the seeds of hate, as done in the case of Afghanistan and Pakistan. India has already run through this by creating mistrust in the bilateral relationship of Pakistan and Iran.
Now it is up to the people of Afghanistan to recognize their friends and foes. After all 30 million Afghans have the right to question their government that why India and Israel have all of a sudden becomes so sympathetic to them. There exists neither any religious affinity nor any other parallel between them and Afghanistan. Rather, both countries have a poor record of accomplishment of Muslim’s massacre in Kashmir and Palestine alike.
Important Link

Indo-Palestinian relations

                           Indo-Palestinian relations have been largely influenced by the independence struggle against British colonialism. After India achieved its independence in 1947, the country has moved to support Palestinian self-determination following the partition of British India. In the light of a religious partition between India and Pakistan, the impetus to boost ties with Muslim states around the world was a further tie to India's support for the Palestinian cause. Though it started to waver in the late 1980s and 1990s as the recognition of Israel led to diplomatic exchanges, the ultimate support for the Palestinian cause was still an underlying concern.Beyond the recognition for Palestinian self-determination ties have been largely dependent upon socio-cultural bonds, while economic relations were neither cold nor warm.
                      Background
                     India was the first non-Arab country to contemporaneously recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization's authority as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." A PLO office was set up in the Indian capital in 1975, with full diplomatic relations established in March 1980. In return, India opened a Representative Office in Gaza on June 25, 1996. Indian support was said to extend to "consistent and unwavering support" on the Palestinian issue, where it shared the perception that the question of Palestine is at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. India has thus consistently supported the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to a State and the consequent imperative need for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 425, as well as the principle of "Land for Peace." India has also supported the Madrid Conference of October, 1991.
Continued support
Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006, India came out, surprisingly, saying Israeli use of force was "disproportionate and excessive."
India participated in the 2007 Annapolis Conference and the consequent donors conference. India's government noted the direct relevance for India on the issue and favoured the creation of "sovereign, independent, united states of Palestine" asserting that its support for the cause remains unwavered. External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, briefed the Consultative Committee in his ministry saying, "India's support to the Palestinian cause has not wavered." Practically a year later, as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, India gifted a piece of prized real estate in the Indian capital’s elite diplomatic enclave for the building of an embassy of the Palestinian National Authority's President (PAP) Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas will lay the foundation stone of the chancery-cum-residence complex of the embassy of Palestine, where the PAP Abbas would formally dedicate the building to the people of Palestine from the people of India. The gift underscored India’s "unwavering solidarity and commitment to an independent Palestine" and was seen by some to balance its growing relations with Israel. On his visit, the PAP said that India had played a great role in West Asia peace process. After the ceremonial reception and a guard of honour at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan, Abbas said relations between India and Palestine had always been good and that the two countries were making efforts to improve such relations. "You know how good relations we have, between India and Palestine since [the] great Indira Gandhi and [the] great Yasir Arafat. And everyday, it’’s improving. We are very glad with the help and the support of the Indian people to the Palestine."The next day the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "India believes that the solution should be based on the relevant U.N. Resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Quartet road map resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel."A joint statement also added that "India also called for an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine and for an early and significant easing of restrictions on the free movement of persons and goods within Palestine."
Domestic Palenstinian controversy arose, however, as Abbas received some flak for his intransigence. On the visit to India he stated that the country's "growing relationship with Israel is not a matter of concern for [the] Palestinians" as New Delhi's support for Palestinian independence remained clear. He was condemned for making an "utterly irresponsible, gratuitous statement" as "shameful" as it was "politically futile" and stood no chance to win the PA anything in return. Without an apparatus of Palestinian democratic accountability by the representatives of the people the flood of official Palestinian concessions was "guaranteed to continue unabated" as it would cause further damage to the struggle for "inalienable rights." While talking about India's growing engagement with Israel, particularly in the field of defence, Abbas said, "India's relations with Israel is its sovereign decision. We are not going to interfere. We know very well that India is supportive of the Palestinian struggle for achieving its own independence." His controversial comments were in stark contrast to report than India became Israel's second largest trading partner, while India became Israel's largest arm's market and the latter became the former's largest arms supplier. However, it was also said that the Palestinian economy has "incredible potential" which could be unleashed if the Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement were lifted, this was accorded by the regional World Bank chief just after a high-level World Bank delegation inaugurated a sewage storage facility on a rare trip to the Hamas-ruled Gaza.
While Indian support has often relied on the age-old, and often qualifiable propaganda basis, certain points did bound the pre-partition states of Ireland, India, and Palestine. On this front, where Israel "unabashedly defends the rights of Jews over all others, India (as a state) has never claimed religious exclusivism for it's [sic] Hindu citizens,"this gave credence to a legitimate support for the Palestinian cause. It was also showed, through academic analysis, that "economic factors can have a profound impact efforts to resolve conflict peaceably."With this aforementions disclaimer, India could, theoretically, be an important ally to improve tensions. Studies of such parallels have also shown that economic factors do now draw positive yields.