Tel Aviv yatra: Pakistan watches Modi’s Israel visit closely

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a three-day official visit to Israel on Tuesday - the first by any head of the government from India - in a development dubbed by the media in both the countries 'historic' and 'landmark'.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his entire cabinet went to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport to receive Modi in a rare gesture previously reserved only for US presidents.

Modi's visit comes against the backdrop of the establishment of 25 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. During the visit, reports suggested that the two sides are expected to sign defence deals worth $1 billion.

Pakistan officially does not comment on bilateral visits of other heads of governments and states. However, it is closely following Modi's trip since it can have serious implications for strategic stability in the region.

Former diplomats and defence analysts are of the view that the visit of the Indian prime minister would further deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.

Israel has long been a major supplier of arms and other defence equipment to India and those deals have deliberately been kept secret by the two sides.

However, the two countries are now more open and publicly talk about their deepening defence cooperation.

"India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel," commented defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib.

Gen Shoaib said India had greatly benefited from the defence and military ties with Israel.

Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an international affairs expert, said growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb strategic balance in the South Asian region.

The Quaid-e-Azam University professor believes Israel assistance can propel India's missile programme, something that would undermine Pakistan's policy of maintaining credible deterrence.

One of the subjects on which the Indian media has created a lot of hype is the threat emanating from terrorism. It has worked hard to relate terrorism with Pakistan and blame it for virtually any terror incident occurring anywhere in India.

One TV anchor opened a talk show on Modi's visit by claiming that: "India is a victim of terrorism. Israel is a victim of terrorism and the epicentre of terrorism is Pakistan."

Modi, before leaving for Tel Aviv, told an Israeli newspaper that terrorism was a common challenge and said New Delhi and Tel Aviv 'can cooperate even more closely' in battling it.

A day ahead of Modi's visit, a senior official from the Israeli foreign ministry said his country stands with India against terrorism emanating from Pakistan and was not asking for a quid pro quo.

However, Mark Sofer, deputy director general in charge of the Asia and Pacific division in the Israeli Foreign Ministry clarified that the issue of terrorism was not the main agenda of Modi's trip.

Former ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi believes that the Indian media is too much obsessed with Pakistan, saying: "No matter where Modi goes, India always tries to drag Pakistan along."

However, Naqvi was sceptical if Israel would go too far to appease India.

"Pakistan is not under the immediate radar of Israel. Their (Israel) priority at the moment is Middle East."

However, Naqvi said their defence and military cooperation was something that had direct bearing on Pakistan.

For Gen Shoaib, there is a lesson for Pakistan in the ever-growing close relationship between Israel and India.

"If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why can't Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy," Gen argued.

"Our foreign policy should not be merely aimed at appeasing any particular country. Rather we need to follow our own national interests," he maintained.

Some analysts have advocated maintaining working relationship with Israel, if not establishing full diplomatic ties, in order to further and protect Pakistan's interests.

In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharraf's tenure, Pakistan and Israel established contacts and even foreign ministers of the two countries met in Turkey. However, things could not make headway further after that.