Oh, India!
Israel’s “strategy of the periphery,” outlined by Ariel Sharon in his biography, is brilliant. The idea is, since Israel has horrible neighbors, they will go outside that “ring of fire” and find friends just outside that circle.
It has proven to be successful, with India being the most obvious example. For one thing, the people of India identify with Israel in the sense that both were colonized by the British. And that colonization was not pleasant for either peoples.
Second, India well understands the threat from Islam. Pakistan is a lethal neighbor, with nukes, and several very tense moments have arisen between the two countries in recent years. Pakistan is home to some of the most extreme jihadi scum on the planet. Intelligence sharing between India and Israel would curl your hair, and all of it has been necessary. Likewise for Pakistan (and other neighbors), the knowledge that Israel is coordinating with India is a real deterrent.
(I well remember how Pakistan got in line in September 2001, right after 9/11. The story goes that George W. Bush sent Secretary of State Colin Powell to Islamabad. In order to avoid any SAM missiles fired at the Secretary’s plane, the pilot put the plane down almost straight vertically! Once Powell met Pervez Musharraf, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs told him that if Pakistan didn’t cooperate in the hunt for Bin Laden, Pakistan would disappear. This is exactly the way to handle terrorist regimes. They do understand fear.)
From a Jerusalem Post report:
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the shared bond between Israel and India during a Knesset plenum address on Wednesday, while outlining plans to strengthen relations by working together in innovation, technology, and economic advancement.
“’The friendship between Israel and India remains a source of strength in an uncertain world,’ Modi said.
“The speech marked the first time an Indian prime minister had ever addressed the Israeli parliament and was held shortly after Modi landed in the country for an official state visit. He was greeted with standing ovations from the audience.”
Modi made a very interesting point in his remarks. He said both countries are “ancient” civilizations. This is tacit agreement that Zionism is real and valid. Remember, most countries do not recognize Israel’s links to her ancient culture. Modi is very smart and that remark was carefully crafted.
Modi also made the astonishing statement that soon, Israel and India will be among the top three economies in the world.
As the Indian leader’s visit concluded, he held additional meetings with key Israelis at the historic King David Hotel in Jerusalem. No doubt his signature will be added to the floor, as have other historic figures.
I encourage you to read further about the ties between India and Israel.