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India's defense needs

India is on the lookout for friends and strategic partners. In an ever changing and uncertain world, it is imperative that India partners with like-minded countries. India's foreign policy has undergone changes from time to time. We had a foreign policy based on equidistant from both the power blocs but ended up cozying up to the Soviet Union. By being non-aligned we kept out of the cold war implications. Today, we are moving close to USA but without breaking away from Russia. Why is that not possible with reference to West Asia?
India's recent overtures to Israel have come for criticism from the left, who feel India is abandoning the Palestinian cause. What has India gained from its pro-Palestine and pro-Arab stand? Nothing really. Whenever the Arab nations had to take sides, they were pro-Pakistan. India spends huge resources and time in cultivating the Arab states with very little to show by way of concrete benefits.It is time to be self-centered and worry about India and its strategic interests for a change.
Indian prime-minister Narendra Modi undertook a historical trip to Israel in June. It is more than twenty five years since the normalization of ties between India and Israel. Israel is India's biggest arms market and India in turn imports high-tech military equipments from Israel, next only to Russia and US in terms of size. India needs an ally, what with the threats looming large on both its northern side and Western border. We need the expertise that Israel has to counter border, covert and overt, threats. In the age of nuclear warfare, India is looking to Israel for advanced missile defense system (Iron Dome) to stop Pakistan missiles with nuclear warheads from destroying Indian cities.
More than just the defense deals between India and Israel, the strategic partnership will send a message out to the world and specially countries like Pakistan that India can go to any lengths to secure its borders and protect its sovereignty. In a rapidly deteriorating world scenario, India has to look strong and be capable to take on the role of a regional superpower. China's strategy to intimidate its neighbours into submission with an eye on superpower status needs to be counter-balanced and India is the only country capable of doing that. We need strategic alliances with Israel and United States to do just that. 

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