Israel says it would never take Pakistan's side on Kashmir
As a sign of Israel's increasing love for New Delhi, top officials have stated that Israel would not support Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute under any circumstances. While Israel had endorsed the position that Kashmir was an integral part of India in the 90s, it has been relatively silent on the issue, despite its strong anti-terrorism stance. What does this mean for India-Israel ties?
The Kashmir Dispute
The Kashmir dispute is primarily related to the status of Jammu & Kashmir region and disputed claims between India and Pakistan over certain territories including Azad Kashmir. Both countries have fought four wars; in 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999 over Kashmir. India further accuses Pakistan of fueling an armed separatist movement in Kashmir. Moreover, India considers Kashmir a bilateral rather than an international issue.
Israel's silence on the Kashmir dispute
The Delhi Declaration (2003), issued after the then Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's visit to India, stayed silent on Israel's position on the Kashmir dispute. India-Israel joint statement after PM Modi's recent visit to Israel further did not directly refer to the issue.
Israel explains its stance
Responding to a query from Times of India, Israeli officials responded that irrespective of the situation in the Kashmir valley, 'there was no question of Israel backing Pakistan'. The officials noted that Israel did not view Kashmir as a religious conflict. They further clarified that the silence on Kashmir in the Modi-Netanyahu joint statement did not mean that the issue was 'off the table'.
Palestine's concerns on India's changing policy approach
According to Khalil Shikaki from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, Palestinians are disappointed that Modi ignored Palestine during his visit. "Palestinians seem to believe that they can no longer count on India's support," he added.
What does this signify?
Following years of frustration in trying to handle Pakistan through forums including the UN, India finally seems to be finding some success through bilateral relations. The US has been calling out Pakistan for perpetrating cross border terrorism and labeling groups including Hizbul Mujahideen; Israel seems to be following the same suite. This can be taken as a sign of a maturing Indo-Israel partnership.
