Opinion
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Letters to the Editor
Ties with Israel
Sir, - You are right in commenting that using the ties with Israel as a foreign policy reinforcement can be counter-productive (Editorial, Jan. 11).
India stands to gain by drawing substantially on Israel's technological prowess and initiative for innovation in all fields from agriculture to weaponry and warfare.
However, as regards foreign policy, Israel is both a poor role model to follow and an immoral source of support. In modern times, Israel is the only country which has deliberately jeopardised its international treaties, and worse still, put the blame for such deceptions on its treaty partners.
By inviting the animosity of the Muslim world, overtures towards Israel for guidance and anchorage to moor India's foreign policy vis-a-vis Kashmir and terrorism will, therefore, be a prescription for disaster.
Devraj Sambasivan,
Alappuzha, Kerala
Sir, - Your Editorial wrongly decries Indo-Israeli ties. India has been supporting the Palestinian and Arab cause for the last 50 years. But every Organisation of Islamic Conference summit ends with support to Pakistan's formulations on Kashmir. Our blind support, without any enlightened self-interest, has gained no appreciation of our difficulties or understanding on Kashmir.
It is surprising that while you are all for secular India's ties with the Muslim countries, you decry the same with secular Israel. It is time we learnt to be more practical in our dealings with the outside world rather than be guided by ideological or impractically idealistic notions. Rather than decry the Centre's overtures towards Israel, it is time that the OIC and the Muslim nations reformulated their foreign policy and strategy towards India and Kashmir.
Vitahavya Kadalayil,
New Delhi
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