India’s foreign policy in West Asia has undergone a sea change over the past decade from being adamantly pro-Arab to one that also engages Israel. India’s balancing act, often difficult and messy, is a tight one and not always successful. It is important to remember that Indian passports prohibited travel to Israel as late as 1992, a fact that rankles Israel’s newly arrived ambassador Mark Sofer. But Kargil changed perceptions when Israel helped India in its time of need. Sofer discusses Indo-Israeli relations, mostly conducted below the radar.
What aspects of bilateral relations would you like to stress more during your tenure here?