Prime Minister Modi’s impending visit to Israel is a tryst with destiny. It highlights the commencement of a historically epitomic event in the continuing saga of growing India Israel relations.
By Amit Mukherjee
PBC-Post Doctoral Research Fellowship 2015
National
Security Studies Center,University of Haifa, Israel
Cover Art Attribute: Portrait of PM Narendra Modi / Source: Wikimedia Commons
Prime Minister Modi’s impending visit
to Israel is a tryst with destiny. It highlights the commencement of a historically
epitomic event in the continuing saga of growing India Israel relations. The
significance of this visit moves past the symbolism of good and deepening
partnership. This date marks the final step in the formal departure from former
position that has been a corner stone of India’s one sided policy up until 29th
January 1992, and has continued to show lingering effect even after, in various
quarters of several establishments and their dealings as a result of the
anachronistic legacy of prevalent mindset and policy compulsions from earlier
times.
Although this visit is in continuation
of other visitation by dignitaries including from the highest office of the
Republic of India the President of India Dr. Pranab Mukherjee, and others like the
Home Minister Shri. Rajnath Singh and the Minister for External Affairs Ms.
Sushma Swaraj, it should put to rest any ambiguity or prevailing doubts that
the establishment of cordial and formal relations of India and Israel is
inimical to change beyond the cautious and selectively set and even somewhat secretive
approach seen till recent past.
The immediate after effect has already
been pre-empted by large-scale defense agreements between Indian and Israeli
firms at the grounds of India’s largest Defense Expo 2016 in Goa, where 28
Israeli defense firms have set up booths[1].
Among various ongoing joint production ventures, R&D and buyer seller
relations that have taken place previously and continue to do so brings the
change that is set to become the established norm towards a robust India Israel
relation through Private sector participation. India allowed private sector
participation in defense in 2001 but the fruition towards orders, contracts and
licenses to build weapons and weapons systems and equipment began in
significance recently in mid 2015 when the present prime minister decided to
grant license to 56 Indian firms under the promising 'Make In India' campaign’[2].
Image Attribute: State Bank of India, Ramat Gan, Israel / Source: Wikimedia Commons
According to last years reports
Israeli companies are wanting to create joint ventures in the defense sector[3] & this has resulted into the signing of
one of the biggest international private defense deals in India between
Reliance Defense Industries and Rafael Advance Defense Systems who have recently
inked a deal announced in the Defense Expo 2016 in Goa, and the completion of
the intended joint venture programs has been valued at 10 billion USD in the
next ten years.
In another venture in
late 2015 Rafael Advance Defense System has tied up with India’s Astra
Microwave Products Limited that designs equipment for radio communication,
electronic warfare systems and signals intelligence with an investment value
for 2 years set at around 20 million USD. India is said to be moving towards an
estimated allocation of around 680 Billion USD between 2014-2022, according to
a subsidiary report of Federation of Chamber of commerce of India. Israel being
the fifth largest arms exporter to India[4]
opens the possibility of investments in the defense sector to the tune of one
fifth of the entire value proportional to its present ratio. Even without
making any definite projections the potential to reach somewhere in the
vicinity of an amount proportional to the share in percentage that Israel
exports to India, makes it many times the current deals that is pegged at
around 1 billion USD[5] on
average annually, past and present included. The entrenchment of Indian and
Israeli defense relations and leading to an all encompassing relations is now
moving rapidly towards normalcy between two sovereign states despite troubled
international and domestic complexities[6].
Both India and Israel should now look to partner wherein Israel can provide
technological contribution and India can provide mass manufacturing bases and
infrastructure including manpower along with joint research and development and
manufacturing initiatives and mechanisms. This has already been successfully
implemented in the development of Barak 8 Surface to Air Missile system[7] and
several other projects. The Indian establishment is already said to have been working
on clearing defense deals worth 3 Billion USD so that it can be signed
ceremoniously during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel. This deal is queued
to include two IAI AWACS – Phalcon radars and 4 Aerostat radars, Spice
precision bombs, Spike anti-tank guided missiles.
Image Attribute: A-50EI (Il-76) of the Indian Air Force with the EL/W-2090 /
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The present Indian government’s
approach to build cordial relations and partnerships with all countries to
boost trade and economic ties attempts to showcase India as rising power and an
investment friendly destination. This has allowed it to build close ties with
nations that have common security interests, especially Israel, in the past two
decades. This visit would signify that India has been able to successfully maintain
the delicate balance of having normal relations with Israel and it is not
reflected at the cost of its relations with other nations that hold or have
held objections to such an association with Israel. And
even though skeptics shall caution the zeal, analysts will be subtle in their
warnings and there will be those who would still resolutely stand opposed, the
Prime minister’s visit shall seal India Israel relations that would embed the seeds
of a long journey of cooperation for times to come from whence forward is the
only way to go.
About The Author:
Amit Mukherjee (E-3696-2016),
PBC-Post Doctoral Research Fellowship 2015. National Security Studies
Center,University of Haifa, Israel
Endnotes:
[1] http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/content/record-number-28-israeli-companies-participating-defexpo-2016
[2] http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/boost-to-make-in-india-modi-govt-awards-56-defence-licences-to-private-cos-like-mahindra-tata-pipavav/articleshow/47837004.cms
[3] http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/make-in-india-push-israeli-companies-keen-to-partner-with-india-in-defence-fdi-a-sticking-point/articleshow/48877139.cms
[4] http://scroll.in/article/732983/why-israel-matters-to-india-and-modi
[5] http://inserbia.info/today/2016/02/india-ready-to-strike-weapons-deal-with-israel/
[6] http://thediplomat.com/tag/india-israel-relations/
[7]http://www.iai.co.il/Shared/UserControls/Print/PopUp.aspx?lang=en&docid=46822
