258 n ormalization and after2002 through 2007 totaled “over US$5 billion.”^57 Besides these purchases,
the military and intelligence chiefs of both countries visit one another
periodically, and there is a regular and ongoing consultation between
their national- security establishments. There is also an institutional con-
sultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries. Indian naval
vessels make periodic port calls to Israel. As part of the exercise, India
joined the UN peacekeeping operations in the Middle East and began
contributing troops to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in
November 1998 and joined the UN Disengagement Observer Force
(UNDOF) along the Israel- Syria border in March 2006.
How do these diverse po liti cal, economic, and military relations be-
tween India and Israel play out internationally?
External Reaction
The improvement in Indo- Israeli relations questions some of the
conventional wisdom regarding Israel and its usefulness in “opening
many doors in Washington.” Many Israelis and others have argued that
countries seeking closer ties with the United States often make overtures
toward Israel or issue pro- Israeli statements.^58 Ever since he came to
power in 1981, for example, President Mubarak’s visits to the United States
have been preceded by some high- level po liti cal contacts with Israel. Like
some of his pre de ces sors, President Pervez Musharraf habitually made
pro- Israeli statements before his trips to the United States. Similar tactics
have been used by Turkey to circumvent the Greek and Armenian lobbies
in the United States. The American dimension naturally became promi-
nent as Indo- Israeli bilateral relations began to fl ourish. Desire for U.S.
po liti cal support, technological assistance, and economic investment in-
fl uenced Rao’s decision to move away from India’s traditional hostility to-
ward Israel. The timing of the announcement, which came literally hours
before Rao’s visit to New York, did not go unnoticed. It was widely believed
that normalization would spur the friends of Israel in the United States,
especially on Capitol Hill, to work toward improving Indo- U.S. relations—
and it did.
But the big picture is more complicated. It is beyond doubt that since
the end of the cold war Indo- U.S. relations have improved considerably.^59
Washington hosted three Indian prime ministers; New Delhi witnessed
two presidential visits. Even the tensions over the 1998 nuclear tests did