Dubai: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday broke protocol to personally receive his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who landed in New Delhi at the beginning of a six-day official visit.

As Netanyahu and his wife Sara stepped on the red carpet, Modi hugged the Israeli leader and then shook hands with the couple, calling the visit “historic and special”. Netanyahu became only the second Israeli prime minister to visit India and the first since Ariel Sharon in 2003.

Executives in technology, agriculture and defence are among those making the journey with Netanyahu as Tel Aviv pursues deals with Asia’s third-largest economy.

It was in December 2013 that India’s foreign ministry assembled its senior diplomats in the region to create what came to be known as the “Look Middle East” policy. It followed New Delhi’s 1990s ‘Look East’ policy, which sought to strengthen ties with countries in the Far East.

Traditionally, India has enjoyed excellent relations with Arab and non-Arab Muslim nations – and while Israel is charging headlong into warmer ties with New Delhi, India is engaged in a balancing act, in deference to its historical support for the Palestinians.

“The maturing relationship with Israel does make strategic sense for India,” said Nirupama Rao, India’s former ambassador to the US and China.

“But India is also not bereft of the realization that it has important interests in the Gulf and West Asia to protect because these interests involve its many people who live and work in that region,” she told Bloomberg.

Supporter of Palestine

Historically, India has always been a big supporter of the Palestinian cause. Its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru – a champion of the Non-Aligned Movement – voted against Israel joining the United Nations in 1949.

In 1974, when Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi was prime minister, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the official representative of the Palestinian people.

The reasons for the then ruling Congress party’s outward dislike for Israel were two-fold: its anti-colonialist antecedents, and its reliance on the political support of India’s massive Muslim community.

Speaking to Gulf News, Mirza Asmer Beg, Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at Aligarh Muslim University, said India’s ties with the Arab world are unlikely to be impacted by Netanyahu’s visit. “The Indian government can say that its support of the Palestinian cause has been consistent, but it is now also opening up new avenues [of cooperation with Israel].”

Beg said India’s relations with Israel are multi-pronged, and also have to do with New Delhi’s efforts to stay on the right side of America. “This also means they want to be on the right side of Israel, given its influence [on US foreign policy].”

Consistent policy

He noted that for most of India’s Muslims, Palestine, at most, remains an ‘emotive’ issue. “The Muslim minority in India has problems of its own. They are more concerned with their own situation. [Regardless] Palestine does remain an emotive issue with them.”

India has consistently backed the Palestinian quest for statehood and in December, was among 128 nations to denounce US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “What we did with Jerusalem is exactly what our policy has been,” said Anil Trigunayat, a retired Indian diplomat and former ambassador to Libya and Jordan.

India’s trade with Israel, excluding defence, grew to at least $4 billion in 2016 from just $200 million in 1992.

During Netanyahu’s visit, several MoUs, including in the field of oil and gas, renewable energy, amended protocol for airports, cyber security, and co-production of films, will be signed between the two sides. Israel’s Saare Tzedek hospital would be signing an agreement with the ministry of health, including the sharing of knowledge in the field of homoeopathy and Ayurveda that have been gaining popularity in Israel over the last few years.

Netanyahu is leading a high-profile delegation comprising 130 businessmen from 102 Israeli companies on his trip. Israel will be investing $68.6 million to boost cooperation with India in areas like tourism, technology and agriculture over four years, a senior Indian official told PTI.

- With inputs from agencies