New Delhi
22 January 2008
India is doing enough to isolate Iran and now it should further help
Israel by encouraging certain Arab countries to strengthen the hands of Palestine
President Mahmoud Abbas and shore up support for the West Asian peace process, an
Israeli diplomat said.
"India is more helpful currently than China is," the Israeli diplomat, Mr Nimrod Barkan,
told a select group of reporters here on Tuesday. Mr Barkan is the head of Foreign
Ministry Center for Policy Research (FMCPR.) He will hold foreign office consultations
with Secretary (East) N Ravi on Wednesday.
Mr Barkan said that Israel and China do not see eye to eye on Iran. "China is not taking a
sufficiently strong stand against Iran ... China is maybe more lenient than the West," he
said. That apart, the "potentially lucrative" Israel-China ties are progressing slowly,
based on economic needs, he clarified.
India, in contrast, posed no problems for Israel in its standoff against Iran. Mr Barkan
explained that India's relations with the United States have helped Israel to shape New
Delhi's responses to the controversial Iranian nuclear programme. He cited India's vote
against Iran in the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as a case in point.
Mr Barkan pointed out that Monday's launch of an Israeli satellite from India was a
business venture between Antrix Corporation of India and Israel Aerospace Industries
but it is evidence of the deepening bilateral ties between India and Israel.
He went on to suggest New Delhi to contribute its mite to the West Asian peace process
by shoring up regional and international support for Palestine President Mahmoud
Abbas. "India can play a significant role ... [India] can encourage the Arab world to
support Abbas," Mr Barkan said.
"There is insufficient support for Abbas ... Abbas needs to be able to present to Palestine
and Arab world an international front of support," he explained, adding that widespread
support for the peace process was needed to ensure that the Israeli-Abbas dialogue
does not become an isolated exercise.
The Israeli diplomat, who will discuss the West Asian situation in his talks with
Secretary (East) N Ravi, said that Saudi Arabia and Egypt do not want Mr Abbas to
negotiate without a national unity government (Hamas included.) However, for Israel,
involving the Hamas will be the "death knell" for all negotiations.
"Once Hamas enters government, policy of Hamas will determine the policy of Palestine
government," Mr Barkan said. Hamas, he pointed out, is eager to achieve international
recognition but encouraging more Arab countries to support Mr Abbas will make it difficult
for the group to undermine the peace process.
He asserted that India could play another significant role by using her ties to moderate
Syria. Syria, he said, could not be talking peace and at the same time, host a two-day
conference of Palestinian organisations opposed to the peace process, starting in
Damascus on Wednesday.
"India's ties with Israel will make India a far more significant player," Mr Barkan
suggested. "Attempts to get closer to India is a global phenomena because of India's
economic growth and to be seen with Israel will make the Arabs court India too. Therefore
it is good to be in the middle," he thought aloud.
The Israeli diplomat's assessment comes despite New Delhi's overtures to Tehran.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon was recently in Tehran. New Delhi has clarified
that it remained interested in the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. It hosted the
Iranian ministers of finance, interior and foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, the Haaretz newspaper of Israel has reported that the launch of the new
reconnaissance satellite gives Israel an intelligence advantage over its rivals. An article
in the newspaper suggested that the launch of the TECSAR satellite sends a new
message to Iran. Launching the satellite from India enables Israel to establish a "new
point of view in space," allowing it photographic angles which were unavailable in prior
satellite launches, the article said.
It explained that the direction of the launch, from the east and opposite to the earth's
rotation, allows Israel increased coverage of sites in Iran. The TECSAR satellite's optical
capability is based on SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology and on its cameras,
which are more advanced than those employed by the Ofek intelligence satellites
developed and used by Israel. Image resolution will be better, sharper, and of higher
overall quality. The radar technology aboard TECSAR renders its photo abilities usable
under all earth weather conditions, including dense clouds, rain, and storms, and at night
as well as during the daylight hours, the article elaborated.
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