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India's Delicate Balance

(Jerusalem Post) Editorial - On Monday, Israel and India celebrated the 20th anniversary of the establishment of official relations between the countries. In attendance was India's External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna, the highest-ranking Indian to come to Israel in an official capacity in over a decade. Commercial ties have improved immensely since 1992, when the two countries formally established ties after the collapse of the Soviet Union. About 40,000 Israelis, many of them post-army backpackers, visit India every year. At the same time, India has pursued high-profile foreign relations with the Palestinian Authority including tens of millions of dollars in direct aid, frequent visits by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, and public declarations by senior Indian officials supporting the creation of a Palestinian state. India prefers to avoid conflict with its significant Muslim minority that opposes ties. Yet despite their country's decidedly pro-Palestinian policies, Indians are remarkably supportive of Israel. A 2009 survey sponsored by the Israel Foreign Ministry in 13 countries ranked India as the most "pro-Israel country" in the world. 58% of Indians had positive feelings about Israel, followed by the U.S. - 56%, and Russia and Mexico at 52% each. India's foreign policy is proof that a strong pro-Palestinian stance is not an obstacle to robust and mutually advantageous relations with Israel. Indians understand the complexity of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that a majority of Israelis support a two-state solution in principle, provided it brings about a final resolution of the conflict.
2012-01-13 00:00:00
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