the years of hardened hostility, 1964–1984 203The Indira Gandhi Years (1966– 1977)
In terms of its longevity and eventfulness, the initial stages of
Indira Gandhi’s administration were critical in hardening India’s policy
toward Israel. When she assumed offi ce in January 1966, following the
sudden death of Prime Minister Shastri in Tashkent, retaining the status
quo was the best one could have hoped for. Instead, the world witnessed
a gradual deterioration in bilateral interaction, with India becoming pub-
licly hostile toward the Jewish state. This uninterrupted downward slide
was due to the changing po liti cal scenario both within and outside the
country. Soon after she came to power, the opposition made signifi cant
po liti cal gains in the 1967 Lok Sabha elections and eroded the strength of
the Congress Party in the parliament and various state legislatures. The
fl uctuating popularity of the Congress Party resulted in Mrs. Gandhi be-
ing dependent upon small parties, especially the communist parties,
which were critical of Israel, for her po liti cal survival.
These changes had a clear impact on domestic and foreign policy. In
Nehru’s time, parliamentary debates on foreign policy were initiated by
the government. The offi cial motion on the “international situation” was
an annual fi xture, and Nehru enjoyed responding to the opposition’s
queries and criticisms. This changed dramatically under Indira Gandhi.
Despite the presence of a full- fl edged foreign minister, it was the opposi-
tion that launched major debates on foreign policy over issues such as the
June war, the Czech o slo vak i an crisis, the Rabat fi asco, or the recognition
of East Germany. One could even suggest that under Mrs. Gandhi the
government lost the initiative to a more articulate and well- prepared op-
position. Offi cial policy on Israel came under greater scrutiny and criti-
cism. It was only after her party swept the 1971 Lok Sabha elections that
the government became more confi dent on foreign policy.
If Nehru’s tenure ended with a diplomatic row over Israel, Mrs. Gan-
dhi’s tenure began with one.
Diplomatic Discourtesy, 1966
In March 1966, less than two months after Indira Gandhi be-
came prime minister, President Zalman Shazar of Israel made a seven-
day state visit to Nepal, a country with whom Israel had good relations