Context
India’s silence on rising tensions between Iran and Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reflects its “dilemma” in trying to balance ties with both countries.
About
Palestinian militant organization Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, in which he had been attending the inauguration of the country’s new president.
India’s Stake in the Region’s Stability
- Threat to Indian Community: There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel and about 5,000-10,000 Indians in Iran, about 90 lakh people are residing and running in the Gulf and West Asia region.
- Any war that expands will emerge as posing a threat to the Indian community that is based in the place.
- Energy Security: The West Asia region contributes to India’s 80 percent of oil components, which a potential war will impact.
- India has been able to minimise the impact of oil prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war by buying Russian oil at discounted prices, but this conflict will have an adverse impact on energy prices.
- Investment and Strategic Importance: India has invested in a strategic relationship with important Arab countries, Iran, and Israel.
- India sees the area as its extended neighbourhood, and it has been pushing for the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic corridor, which has strategic as well as economic benefits.
- Chabahar in Iran is some other strategic economic undertaking, which acts as a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia — considering the fact that Pakistan denies land transit to Indian goods.
- Any war in the area, and the implementation of any US sanctions can even affect India’s plans for Chabahar port.
- In addition, the India-Israel-UAE-US I2U2 initiative and plans to attach Indian shipment routes through the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to Russia will be affected.
- Defence Relations with Israel: India has a very deep strategic relationship with Israel, specially in the context of defence and protection partnership.
India’s Neutral Stand
- Maintaining a Balanced Stand: India’s stakes in the bilateral relationships with both Israel and Iran are massive, India will expect both the countries to avoid military movements as a way to cause a dangerous and wider warfare in the region.
- Based on the Complex Regional Politics: Inter-country and intra-country conflicts in the Middle East are deep and pervasive, and India will ought to all the time stability its engagement with key regional actors — Egypt, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — whose orientation and interests are distinct and often in war.
- India’s call for de-escalation between Israel and Iran is set recognising the complexity of the place’s politics.
- Non- Ideological Engagement: The non-ideological engagement with the area is a vital complement to India’s expanding hobbies in the Middle East.
- India’s interest in the area is not restrained to oil imports and labour exports.
- The Gulf Arab states — specially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have emerged as major economic and political partners for India.
Way Ahead
- India has strategic ties with both Iran and Israel — and for decades, it’s been capable of stability between the two sides. But if the conflict widens, it would be difficult for it to maintain an ambivalent role.
- In the context of such deep ties with both Israel and Iran, India has difficulty in choosing aspects.
- India’s function that there must be “instant de-escalation” and “step again from violence” and “go back to the course of diplomacy” is, therefore, essential to its national interest.
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Mains Practice Question
Q. “India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss. (2018)