prelude to normalization 225Party to a spectacular victory in the December 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
He secured an unpre ce dented four- fi fths majority in parliament, a feat
that eluded even his grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru. Despite his limited
exposure to international diplomacy— or because of it^2 — he had a keen
interest in foreign policy and traveled widely, met every major po liti cal
leader in the world, took part in numerous conferences, and addressed a
wide range of international gatherings.^3
Though he promised to tread a traditional path, the ideological rheto-
ric of the past had no attraction for the young leader. From the very be-
ginning, Rajiv opted for modernization and carry ing the country forward
into the twenty- fi rst century. Moving away from the socialist tradition of
the Congress Party, he looked to liberalization as a key instrument in
India’s economic progress and prosperity. His commitment to technol-
ogy and modernization endeared him to the West. His penchant for
summits, accords, agreements, and other po liti cal adventures should be
seen in this context. Indeed, his interest in foreign aff airs continued even
after he lost the election in 1989. During the Kuwait crisis he sought, for
the fi rst time in Indian history, to conduct a parallel foreign policy from
the opposition ranks. Though the eventual results of his eff orts were
mixed and remain questionable at times, these initiatives highlighted his
openness towards foreign policy. This fresh approach was also visible in
his Israel policy. The younger Gandhi had the opportunity, desire, and,
above all, a massive parliamentary mandate to approach the Middle East
diff erently. And he did.
The prevailing international climate of the 1980s was favorable toward
his style of governing. There was a substantial reduction in international
tension, despite the Soviet occupation of Af ghan i stan and prolonged
Iran- Iraq war. Even these two problems were showing signs of stalemate.
Until the outbreak of the Palestinian intifada in December 1987, the over-
all climate in the Middle East was relatively favorable and less hostile
toward Israel. For the fi rst time in many years, the Jewish state was not
seen as the root cause of regional instability. Around the same time,
Mikhail Gorbachev arrived on the international scene and slowly her-
alded the end of the cold war, a move that im mensely benefi ted Israel.
The later half of the 1980s saw a renewal of low- level contacts between
Israel and the countries of eastern Eu rope. The international media was
rife with reports of Sino- Israeli military relations even while Beijing con-
tinued its public rhetoric against the Jewish state.^4 The communist bloc
that provided the ideological basis for Third World hostility gradually