252 n ormalization and afterthe al- Aqsa intifada in September 2000, even those who had some reser-
vations in the past came around to strengthening and benefi ting from
bilateral relations.
A real shift in Indo- Israeli relations coincided with the formation of
the BJP- led NDA government in 1998. It is tempting to attribute this
trend to the shared right- wing ideologies of the BJP and the Likud, which
emerged as the dominant force in Israel since 1977. Writing on the con-
troversies surrounding the de mo li tion of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya,
one academic felt that “in some circles, there is a growing suspicion of a
nexus developing between Israel, BJP, and its allies ranged against Mus-
lims of India with the US appearing as an innocent spectator, which
could have implications for the unity and integrity of India.”^44 Although
this ideological affi nity cannot be discounted, there were other forces that
also enabled India to pursue a more open approach to Israel.
Among the po liti cal parties, the Congress Party has remained ex-
tremely cautious in its approach to Israel. Normalization was presented
within the traditional Indian slogan of “continuity and change.”^45 Rao
was not prepared to project normalization as a radical departure from the
past or that he was reversing a policy set by Nehru. Rao’s successors were
also equally careful in fl oating closer ties with Israel. Both under Rao and
later Manmohan Singh, bilateral relations fl ourished but without any
hype or undue media attention. There was some opposition within the
Congress Party and, as discussed earlier, leaders such as Arjun Singh
and Mani Shankar Aiyar were critical of Rao’s decision.^46 As a result,
during Rao’s tenure (1991– 1996) only two cabinet ministers visited Is-
rael, and during the fi rst four years of Singh’s tenure (2004– 2008), no
cabinet minister went to Israel. The only visit of a foreign minister took
place when the NDA was in power (1998– 2004). When Prime Minister
Sharon visited India in September 2003, it was uncertain if the opposi-
tion leader and Congress President Sonia Gandhi would meet the Israeli
leader. Though the meeting eventually took place toward the end of Sha-
ron’s state visit, no pictures of their meeting ever appeared in the main-
stream Indian media.
On the contrary, the Hindu- nationalist BJP was far more forthcoming.
Whether in or out of power, it had no qualms about exhibiting its friend-
liness toward Israel. As opposition leader, L. K. Advani visited that coun-
try in July 1995 and was received by its se nior leaders. He again went to
Israel in June 2000, this time as home minister, and admitted that India
shares “with Israel a common perception of terrorism as a menace, even