NEW DELHI: Foreign Minister Shimon Peres of Israel arrived here May 17 on the first official visit in 40 years by an Israeli leader to India, which has long espoused the Palestinian’ cause, Israel is swom enemy of Palistine.

“We have been waiting for this moment for 40 years,” Peres told a gathering of India’s industrial barons soon after he laid a wreath at the memorial 10 Mohandas K Gandhi, who led the Indian independence movement against Britain more than 50 years ago.

India and Israel established full diplomatic relations last year, although for many years Israel operated a small consulate in Bombay 10 meet the needs of Jews seeking to emigrate 10 Israel.

In 1978 former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan of Israel flew secretly to New Delhi, where he met with Morarji R.Desai, who was the then Prime Minister, and officials in the Foreign Office to seek diplomatic relations. The Indians did not respond then, pointing to their Support for the Palestinians and Arab countries. India has also been heavily dependent on Middle East oil, but more recently it has openly expressed its irritation with criticism of its policies in Kashmir by: Islamic nations. In Kashmir, security forces have battled pro independence Muslims for the last four years. “This is a moving experience for us,” said Peres, who is also Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and is leading a delegation of business executives and Government officials to India.

The two countries are to sign six agreements, some of which seek closer collaboration in science and technology, tourism and Arms Technology, EY, Al, the national airline, is to begin flights to India, while Air India, the state run carrier, will have flights to Israel.

Emphasizing that his visit here had opened a new chapter in the Indo Israeli relations, the Israeli foreign minister, Shimon Peres told a Press conference that Tel Aviv would respect the US, judgment on the question of declaring Pakistan a terrorist state.

Peres announced the setting up of a joint Indo Israeli fund with each side contributing 1.5 million dollars a year to coordinate research and development activities for civilian purposes.

He, however, wanted India to respond to the new chapter in bilateral relations by reviewing its voting pattern in the United Nations on matters concerning Israel.

Peres wanted a coordinated global effort to tackle the threat from terrorism and extremism.

Asked whether the Israeli Intelligence “Mossad” would help India by providing Intelligence information, Peres quipped “it’s a good Question.”

Asked whether Israel as a non signatory to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) supported India’s stand on the issue, Peres brushed aside the question saying: that his country would not like to advise New Delhi on the treaty.

Replying to a question on the Kashmir issue, he said India and Pakistan had already pone through the pains of a partition.

Reopening of old wounds and going through it again did not promise a good future, Peres observed.

Replying to a question on the Palestinian issue, Peres said “the best solution” to the problem would be a confederation between Jordan and the Palestinians.

He emphasized that all the Palestinians living in “West Bank” possessed Jordanian passports,

“Palestinians are not our enemies: We have no intention to ruin their lives, we want to coexist and not dominate them,” he stated.

Peres said a Joint Indo Israel committee would be set up to clear proposals for bilateral ventures. This committee was on the lines which Israel had with U.S., Germany and France, he said.

Peres said negotiations were underway 10 set up an India chair at the Hebrew University in Tel Aviv and a similar chair reflecting Israeli culture at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 21, 1993