13. Conclusion
“Jerusalem has been a holy city for Christians, Muslims, and
Jews. Lately, it has also become a holy city for the Indian armed forces.”^1
Though odd— and some might say controversial— this formulation aptly
refl ects the newly found Indian fondness for Israel. Since the establish-
ment of relations in January 1992, India has come a long way. Within a
short span of time, bilateral relations have fl ourished considerably, often
frustrating countries whose historic ties with India could not match the
profi le that Israel has acquired within a de cade of normalization. The
transformation has been astronomical.
In 1947, represented by the Congress Party, the Indian nationalists op-
posed the partition of both India and Palestine. They were not prepared
to accept the notion that religion could be a defi ning identity for national-
ism. Recognizing the Muslims as a separate “nation” that entails a sepa-
rate state would have opened a Pandora’s box. The presence of over fi ve
hundred princely states at the time of the British withdrawal frightened
them. Endorsing a religiously based self- determination was seen as det-
rimental and disastrous for India, a country of diverse ethnic, religious,
linguistic, and caste- based divisions and cleavages. The Indian leaders
were equally realistic. Despite their deeply seated reservations and disap-
proval, they were prepared to accept the partition of the subcontinent