index 347
membership, 188– 90, 294n19; and
Islamic prism, 68– 84; and Israel’s
UN membership, 188– 90; Khilafat
movement as Congress Party
opportunity to strengthen bonds
with Indian Muslims, 12– 13,
69– 73; need for Hindu- Muslim
unity against the British, 55,
69– 70, 73; Nehru’s early views on
Palestine issue (1933– 1947), 47– 53,
186, 296n74; Palestine issue as
Congress Party tool for enhancing
pro- Arab and pro- Islamic credentials
in competition with the Muslim
League, 13, 22, 55, 74– 81, 89, 266;
and partition of the subcontinent, 7,
264– 65; reasons for Zionist interest
in India, 58– 61; similarities between
Israeli and Indian experiences, 9– 10;
yishuv indiff erence to Asia in
po liti cal calculations, 56– 58, 195– 96;
Zionist contacts with India’s leaders
and other personalities, 61– 67. See
also Congress Party; embassies;
Nehru, Jawaharlal; Palestine issue;
partition of the Indian subcontinent;
UN negotiations on the creation
of Israel
India- Israel relations (May 1948 to
March 1952), 108– 37; and
All- Palestine Government, 120– 21;
bud getary issues, 123– 24; consular
relations, 126– 31, 136; date of Israeli
request for recognition, 109;
diplomatic contacts, 131– 37; India’s
pro- Arab stance not reciprocated by
Arab countries, 120; India’s
recognition of Israel (September
1950), 108; Israel’s technical
assistance to India, 113; lack of
ambassadors to many countries, 122,
123; lack of immediate references to
normalization of relations, 114– 15;
missed opportunities for
normalization shortly afterINC. See Congress Party
India: under British rule, 51, 69, 77;
contrasts between India and Israel,
6– 9; demographics of Muslim
population, 11, 142; desire for closer
ties to U.S., 239, 258, 270– 71;
foreign policy in Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh infl uenced by domestic
population of Tamils and Bengalis,
14; as founding member of the UN,
86; freedom from anti- Semitism
and hospitality toward Jewish
population, 2– 4, 58; in de pen dence,
86, 94; Israel’s adversaries not
armed by India, 249; Jewish
refugees in India, 3– 4, 50– 52, 127,
281n39; lack of or ga nized Muslim
hostility toward, 7– 8; lack of
signifi cant Jewish population, 11, 42,
56, 58; self- defi nition as a secular
state, 8– 9; similarities between
Israeli and Indian experiences, 9– 10;
Sino- Indian confl ict of 1962, 4;
sovereign status universally
recognized, 8. See also diplomatic
contacts; domestic politics; economy
of India; Hindu population of
India; India, nationalist struggle
era; Muslim population of India;
normalization of relations with
Israel; recognition of Israel; headings
beginning with India– Israel relations;
specifi c leaders
India, nationalist struggle era, 23,
294n18; anti- imperialist stance,
19– 21, 45– 46, 49, 54– 55; and Asian
Relations Conference of 1947,
183– 88; Congress Party rationale for
stance, 53– 56; Indian Constituent
Assembly discussion of December
1947, 3; Indian leaders’ unfamiliarity
with Judeo- Christian tradition,
41; India’s objections to Israel’s
reliance on British, 6– 7, 37, 39, 41,
49; India’s objections to Israel’s UN