- normalization and after 319
- Interestingly, in late 1988, Hadass’s scheduled visit to India through Bang-
kok was canceled due to premature media leaks. - Pradhan, “India’s Policy Towards the PLO,” 71– 72; Pradhan, “Seeking Clar-
ity in Arafat’s Message,” 30– 31; and Pradhan, “Changing Dynamics of In-
dia’s West Asia Policy,” 17. - Normalization and After
- Normally, such announcements are made by a ju nior offi cial in charge of
the External Publicity Division, who also functions as the offi cial spokesper-
son of the ministry. - More than a de cade later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was the
fi nance minister during this period, recollected those times. “When I be-
came fi nance minister [in 1991] India was in the midst of the worst possible
crisis. Our foreign exchange reserves had literally exhausted. Even to raise a
small loan of $500 million, we had to physically send India’s gold reser ves to
the vaults of the Bank of En gland.” Interview of PM on the Charlie Rose
Show (September 21, 2004). Available online at http:// pmindia .nic .in/ visits/
content .asp ?id = 22. - Israeli diplomat Moshe Yegar, who was heading the Asian desk when India
recognized Israel. Personal conversation in Jerusalem on August 18, 1997. - For example, see Gupta, The Diaspora’s Po liti cal Eff orts in the United States.
- Shichor, “Hide and Seek.” See also Kumaraswamy, “China and Israel.”
- For background discussions, see, among others, Abed, “The Palestinians
and the Gulf Crisis”; and Adnoni, “The PLO at Crossroads.” - Under intense U.S. pressure Saudi Arabia modifi ed its stance; until his death
in November 2004, Kuwait refused to host the Palestinian leader. The brief
reconciliation eff orts by the Palestinian leader Faisal al- Husseini in May 2001
ended in a tragedy when he was confronted by Kuwait lawmakers over his
presence in Kuwait. Later that night, Husseini died of a heart attack. - However, some conservative critics argued that normalization “was not a
precondition” for India’s association with the peace pro cess. Pradhan,
“India’s Policy Towards the PLO,” 73. - Kumaraswamy, “South Asia and Sino- Israeli Diplomatic Relations.”
- Inbar, “The Indian- Israeli Entente,” 90.
- A detailed and provocative discussion can be found in Swamy, “The Secret
Friendship Between India and Israel.” - Joshi, “Changing Equations,” 113. According to a former offi cial of the R&AW,
shortly after its formation in September 1968, the external- intelligence
agency, “with the approval of [Prime Minister] Indira Gandhi, had set up a
secret liaison relationship with Mossad.” Raman, The Kaoboys of R&AW, 127. - Raman, The Kaoboys of R&AW, 127. Interestingly, this happened just over a
year after the June war, when India was vociferously critical of Israel even
before the commencement of hostilities.
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