It is only natural that India, Israel, and the West be allied with each other. They all believe in democracy, freedom, and tolerance – and all face a mortal danger from Islam. Sadly for many years after she won her independence, the Indian Congress Party led by Nehru and then his daughter Indira Gandhi, were “neutrally pro Soviet” and very pro Arab. However the rise of internal Muslim terrorism in India as well as the growing militancy of Pock-ee-stan, has opened India’s eyes to how dangerous those people are. India and Israel maintain excellent defense relations and both countries have recently been dissed by The One. This wonderful article also shows that contrary to perceived opinion, the United States was rather standoffish towards the Jewish state until after the Six Day War of 1967. Israel’s weapons came primarily from France (jets) and Britain (tanks), and it was not until 1964 that an Israeli Prime Minister (Levi Eshkol) was officially received at the White House.
by Walter Russell Mead
Documents captured from radicals and terrorists in Pakistan warn darkly about a new axis of evil in the world: a ‘Zionist Hindu Crusader‘ alliance bringing Israel, India, and the United States together in a war on Islam. They are wrong about the last part; all three countries want peaceful relations with Islamic countries based on mutual recognition and respect. The alliance isn’t a closed club, and Islamic countries are welcome to join. Otherwise, however, the radicals have a point. The deepening relations between the United States, India, and Israel are changing the geopolitical geometry of the modern world in ways that will make the lives of fanatical terrorists even more dismal and depressing (not to mention shorter) than they already are. Israel and the United States are both in a better long term position than many Americans sometimes think; one of the main reasons is an Indian-Israeli connection that most Americans know nothing about.
Americans often underestimate Israel: we underestimate Israel’s ability to conduct a foreign policy independent of US support and we underestimate Israel’s long term prospects for success in its region. Indeed, Americans often talk about Israel as if we were the Jewish state’s only real friend — and that Israel is completely dependent on American goodwill.
That’s not true historically and it’s not true today. The Soviet Union (through its Czechoslovakian satellite regime) provided Israel with the arms that gave it the decisive advantage in its War of Independence. The British and French armed and supported Israel in the 1956 Suez War. France provided Israel with the core of its nuclear technology and France supplied Israel with the Mirage jets which destroyed the Arab air forces at the outset of the Six-Day War. During all this time the United States government did not provide Israel with much help; no Israeli prime minister was even invited to Washington until 1964 when Levi Eshkol met with President Lyndon Johnson.
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