prelude to normalization 227the international community should “let India know that unless it ceases
to inject its anti- Israeli politics into events aimed at furthering the spirit
of international cooperation, it will be forced to forfeit its frequent role as
host nation.” It also condemned India for its “frequent disregard for
minimum standards of civility and law required among nations.” This
harsh report was followed by a move by the U.S. Congress to reduce aid
to New Delhi from US$60 million to US$35 million.^6
On April 18, 1985, a few months after Rajiv Gandhi’s electoral victory,
the Israeli radio reported that the National Unity Government headed by
Shimon Peres had asked a British Jewish businessman to explore the
mood in New Delhi. A few months later, during the fortieth UN General
Assembly session, Prime Minister Gandhi met Peres. This was probably
the fi rst meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries since
- Unlike similar high- profi le encounters at the United Nations be-
tween Israeli and Chinese leaders, the Rajiv- Peres meeting did not lead to
any dramatic changes. It was important simply because of the absence of
such high- level contacts in the past. One small result of this meeting was
that a few months later, Israel was able to post a regular vice- consul at
Bombay. Ever since Yosef Hassin was declared persona non grata in 1982,
India had refused Israeli requests to send a successor. According to one
leading Indian commentator, this should have happened earlier but was
delayed due “to obstruction by South Block [where the Indian Foreign
Ministry is located] offi cials.”^7 Like the US State Department, the Indian
foreign- policy establishment had its share of Arabists who were comfort-
able with the status quo.
A couple of years later, Rajiv Gandhi met a group of pro- Israeli leaders
in New York.^8 Before reaching American shores, Gandhi undertook a
high- profi le state visit to Syria, where he reiterated New Delhi’s tradi-
tional commitment to the Arab position. Besides a long working meeting
with President Hafez al- Assad of Syria, the Indian leader visited the ru-
ins of Kuneitra, destroyed by Israel during the June war. Gandhi had a
diff erent agenda in New York. This “casual encounter,” as it was depicted
in the Indian media, was arranged by Congressman Stephen Solarz, a
Demo crat from New York City, the chairman of the House subcommit-
tee on Asian and Pacifi c Aff airs, and a champion of Indian issues in the
U.S. Congress. Prominent among Gandhi’s interlocutors during the
June 8, 1988, meeting were Morris Abrams, the head of the Conference
of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, a powerful umbrella body
of thirty- eight Jewish associations, and his deputy Malcolm Hoenlin.