Indian president backs Syria's claim on Golan

[Agantrope]

if it was said in the UN the it is much bigger than one individual saying it, Israel more or less started this provocation, they seem to be losing all friends and allies-USA,Turkey,India etc.....

LF, there is a saying, Dont Trust anyone completely and Dont mistrust anyone totally. What we need is the self-interest. Even after my satisfaction only, i can donate. IMO india did a correct thing. This is the world where we cant trust anyone.

 

[Phenom]

I can't see anything wrong with the statement. The President was in Syria, so obviously she would try to support the Syrian argument, without offending Israel. She seem to have struck the right balance.
In international diplomacy the Arabs are a pretty potent force, lets not alienate them trying to cozy up with Israel.Remember during the recent Kashmir Upsurge most Arab countries kept quiet, despite Pakistani effort to rope them in. India should maintain the right balance between the Arab and Israel relation and IMO this govt is striking the right balance.

 

[S.A.T.A]

While the President has merely reiterated a long held stand that Israel must return all occupied Arab territories.In the past India would normally stick to offering support to see various UN resolutions regarding the return of Israeli occupied territories be honored.The Indian Presidents referring to specific occupied territories in official statement and the tone and tenor of the statement,reflects a clear break from what had been a more balanced approach to India's stand on Arab-Israeli issues.

Its not possible to construe this as a tit for tat response to a Israeli statement from a low ranking Israeli with regards to Kashmir,if that was the case Indian response also would have been at a low ranking level.India's extremely close relations with israel i the last decade or so have ruffled feathers in the middle east.From high caliber defense deals to spy satellite launches,the strategic nature and quality of India's burgeoning relationship with the state of Israel has lead several misgivings in the Arab political circles.

Its possible that India was hoping to smoothen some rough edges that may have developed in traditional Arab political circles regarding India's commitment to friendly ties with Arabs.If that was the intention then the govt certainly deserves the benefit of doubt.

However it must be emphasized that the govt must not treat its relationship with Arab Islamic states as an extension of its own domestic agenda,where in the past friendly ties with Arabs and over zealous support to their cause was seen as way to wax its own secular credentials in the eyes of India's Muslim minorities.Thankfully this myopic outlook seemed to have been abandoned the last many years and hope there is no going back to it.India's more than friendly relationship with Israel over the years have been most instrumental in making Arab states adopt a more balanced approach to Indo-Pak issues(nevertheless it is still tilted in Pakistan's favor)

India must make it point not to officially ruffle any feather in the middle east,whether is Arab or Jewish.


P.S:One has to ponder if the Bihar election results in anyway inspire this more than strong statement of support for Syria

 

[Yusuf]

P.S:One has to ponder if the Bihar election results in anyway inspire this more than strong statement of support for Syria[/QUOTE]

Ridiculous assumption. Indian muslims don't care about what happens elsewhere, its a figmant of the politicians mind.

 

[Quickgun Murugan]

i have not the slightest of the clues why a section of us have to get so touchy about israel, do people even realize what a parasite of a nation israel is and how they can in covert work against the closest of their allies.



thats what its all about. it is the US which has made sure all that technology be not given to the chinese, the day the americans say they can, israel will do exact that at a snap of a finger, but then hey, what the hell, india and israel are supposed to be some strategic allies whose love tale was scripted in the heaven!

rather than being thankful to the americans because of whom this relationship with israel has worked, we like to bash the same americans.

fact of the matter its nothing more than just another relationship we have with the rest though our relations with them are a priority relationship much like the way we have with burma and with all that money, resources and influence to be had from the gcc and arab world india would be foolish to antagonize and side step them.

Well I can speak for myself. I am sympathetic to Isreal because, Isreal helped us during kargil when we needed help the most. Nevertheless, I understood the point made by our president.

 

[The Messiah]

Well I can speak for myself. I am sympathetic to Isreal because, Isreal helped us during kargil when we needed help the most. Nevertheless, I understood the point made by our president.

yes they did but dont blow it out of proportion...its not as if we would have lost without there help.

they knew it was in there own interest to help us so they did.

 

[Shaitan]

This is non of India's business. What if some nation's president said Kashmir should be a part of Pakistan? This is non of India's business so back off. Besides which nation is more politically important to India? Israel or Syria?

 

[civfanatic]

I had no idea our president was capable of making such a bold statement... I am speechless.

 

[Tronic]

The palestine and Middle east conflicts are such that when US and europe cant do a thing why shud our statement bother Israel

We do have to address the sensitivities of our Muslim population.

There fore NO HIGH level visits between India and Israel other than defence ministers have happened in UPA regime

P.S:One has to ponder if the Bihar election results in anyway inspire this more than strong statement of support for Syria

Ridiculous assumption. Indian muslims don't care about what happens elsewhere, its a figmant of the politicians mind.

Its sad to see that even something like this starts to carry religious undertones. Supporting Palestine has nothing to do with Muslims and Jews. It is a humanitarian issue; where one nation expands every day swallowing another meanwhile keeping it economically starved. Prior to 1992, India refused to recognize the existence of the state of Israel, and today nothing has changed with respect to Israeli occupation of Palestine yet today people are cheering them as our allies? People need to realize that Kashmir is not Palestine, and hence India is not Israel; so people should stop trying to run parallels between the two countries because it is two very different issues. We have a decades old relationship with the Palestinians and we should not walk away from that. This does not mean we should confront Israel on every little issue, but we can at the very least use our good relations with Israel to be a voice for the Palestinians and be an effective mediator.

 

[Yusuf]

Bang on Tronic. Is just ridiculous to think that india moving away from israel will get political rewards here in india. Indian interests matter. The rest of the middle east is as important as israel. We need israel for defence needs and we need middle east for the oil as well as the jobs it gives to millions of indians. Diplomacy is not about choosing between the two but finding a way to work with the two.

As I have said earlier the statement is inconsequential and only for the concerned audience. That audience has already affirmed support for Indias UNSC seat. I am also yet to see any scathing reaction from Israel which proves that they are cool about everything and most probably being told before hand.

 

[Rahul Singh]

That's tit-for-tat for the Israelis talking &hit about Kashmir.

Not exactly infact India getting critical on Israeli Navy's action on flotilla to Palestine. Now after this IDIOTIC statement do expect Israeli speaking on Arunachal Sikkim and even on Kashmir (but this time on land ownership). I think Israel will choose Kashmir as it will give them opportunity to respond and a rise among Muslim world.

P.S:One has to ponder if the Bihar election results in anyway inspire this more than strong statement of support for Syria

There can't be any 'IF', it is for sure. First time since independence Congress is feeling like loosing grip on its vote bank which core of their election victory which Jawaharlal Nehru created way back in 1947. Most interesting(and disheartening for congress) part is that some they are loosing it to BJP! I take this statement as first among the series of desperate attempts to win back that vote bank.

 

[Rahul Singh]

Double post, delete please!

 

[alone]

Indian president's backing a claim is like the post itself.i.e. --THE RUBBER STAMP

 

[Rage]

Not exactly infact India getting critical on Israeli Navy's action on flotilla to Palestine. Now after this IDIOTIC statement do expect Israeli speaking on Arunachal Sikkim and even on Kashmir (but this time on land ownership). I think Israel will choose Kashmir as it will give them opportunity to respond and a rise among Muslim world.

Not at all. The world's more keen on condemning Israel and its naval flotilla actions than Kashmir. Israel and the West Bank get far greater coverage in the int'l media than does Kashmir. And the world is far more informed of the Palestinian intifada and its history of succession, than on Kashmir.

Israel stands less to gain from a 'rise' out of the Muslim world, than does India. But it does stand to gain from cooperation with the present regime of Pakistan, especially if, as what we believe is true, the United States, urged on by the Israeli lobby, is attempting to seize Pakistani nuclear material.

This statement seems to be different and more overt, because it refers to a particular piece of territory: in synonymousness with the Israeli delegate's last reference to Kashmir. Statements like these are not new, India has made them before. Particularly, with calling for restraint on Palestinian protesters and on West Bank reconstruction by settlers. But this is different in that it refers to a particular piece of territory. And even more so because it was in a speech, indicating that it was measured and thought out. This is pro-active diplomacy at its best. India is now tying Israeli ombutescence on Kashmir, with India's silence on the Golan heights.

 

[johnee]

Bang on Tronic. Is just ridiculous to think that india moving away from israel will get political rewards here in india. Indian interests matter. The rest of the middle east is as important as israel. We need israel for defence needs and we need middle east for the oil as well as the jobs it gives to millions of indians. Diplomacy is not about choosing between the two but finding a way to work with the two.

As I have said earlier the statement is inconsequential and only for the concerned audience. That audience has already affirmed support for Indias UNSC seat. I am also yet to see any scathing reaction from Israel which proves that they are cool about everything and most probably being told before hand.

I hope you are right, otherwise we will lose another strategic ally like Iran, just to please some other country....

 

[sayareakd]

The president was in syria.

What do we expect her to say

In inter national matters it doesnt matter what you say WHat you DO AND WHAT CAN you do that matters.

The palestine and Middle east conflicts are such that when US and europe cant do a thing why shud our statement bother Israel

We do have to address the sensitivities of our Muslim population.

There fore NO HIGH level visits between India and Israel other than defence ministers have happened in UPA regime

hope she dont go to Pakistan or else she is going to say Kashmir should go to Pakistan.

 

[Rage]

Its sad to see that even something like this starts to carry religious undertones. Supporting Palestine has nothing to do with Muslims and Jews. It is a humanitarian issue; where one nation expands every day swallowing another meanwhile keeping it economically starved. Prior to 1992, India refused to recognize the existence of the state of Israel, and today nothing has changed with respect to Israeli occupation of Palestine yet today people are cheering them as our allies? People need to realize that Kashmir is not Palestine, and hence India is not Israel; so people should stop trying to run parallels between the two countries because it is two very different issues. We have a decades old relationship with the Palestinians and we should not walk away from that. This does not mean we should confront Israel on every little issue, but we can at the very least use our good relations with Israel to be a voice for the Palestinians and be an effective mediator.

Tronic, they may be two very different issues historically and politically.

But they are not two very different issues in the minds of the Muslims.

The Muslim world, by which we mean every thing from the Horn of Africa to the rim of Central Asia, perceives it as oppression and occupation of muslims, of denial of their identity and usurpation of their religious 'heritage'. And this is a function solely of the media.

Kashmir and Palestine are not the same, not to anyone that is remotely aware of the historicity of the issue. But for the vast majority, that are not, they infinitesimaly are.

 

[Rahul Singh]

I don't really know how close "allies" we really are. We need something from them, their technology and their anti-terror knowledge, and they need our money. You forget, Israelis will be just as happy selling their high-end products to China as they will to India. It is the money which talks, not an alliance.

If i consider your logic true which to an extent is then i wonder if there is any ally of Bharat at all in this world. Russia sells for money, Bharat buy for technology, Russia do sells weaponry and critical military technology to China and helicopters to China's scum Pakistan. So why i can't say Russia not an ally of Bharat?.......

It is very true that our mutual requirements brought our governments together. But no can deny that today even people of Bharat and Israel feel them closer because we have passed through that phase of buyer seller relationship. Mutual cooperation and support have done much for the relations and this was or optimistically speaking still is beginning of building up of a powerful alliance. But these kind of statements are not doing any good to it rather bringing only harm to it. We must not forget that Bharat's sole [easy] access to western quality weaponry is through Israel and its more in our interest than Israel to have good relations.

 

[Yusuf]

Rahul, just recently Putin called Pakistan a natural ALLY!!! Things change in international relations. Indo US relations is a great example of that.

 

[ejazr]

I am just surprised at the reservations that some people are going into when the Indian president stated an acknowledged fact.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, Golan heights is not recognized as Israeli territory. Even the UN recognizes that. And Israeli govt.s since its annexation onwards have discussed with Syrians on handing it back based on security guarantees. So why are we so afraid of Israel being offended? When Israeli govt. themselves have discussed of handing this back.

The Indian president has not said that Israel should not exist or some other crazy stuff. This is part of the UN mandated recognition of occupied territories. So I think we can stop hyperventilating on how Israel would react. Its India paying the big bucks to get Israeli arms, and there is no one else who can buy from them at the moment. China is off the table for now. Besides US is more than eager to directly sell western weapons to India and there is no indication that they will have reservations to not sell to us.