Two days back, the Saudi King in
making, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in an interview to the The
Atlantic, said “Israelis have
right to their own land”. He added, “I
believe that each people, anywhere has right to have their own land. But we
have to have a peace agreement to assure stability for everyone and to have
normal relations”. This statement from the defacto ruler of country which has essential refused to even
recognize the statehood of Israel is truly massive. The sudden U-turn and an
overt warm tone signaled Saudi Arabia’s massive shift in foreign policy. Saudi
Arabia which considers Israel as its enemy and oppressor of Palestinians still
don’t have formal diplomatic relations with the Jewish Republic. In his
interview, he announced that both countries would benefit by establishment of
official relationships. He opined, “Israel
is a big economy compared to their size and it’s a growing economy and of course
there are a lot of interests we share with Israel- and if there is peace, there
would be a lot of interest between Israel and the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries and countries like Egypt and Jordan”.
MBS, as he is popularly known,
since his elevation took many strategists by surprise by his rather unusual
reforms. The latest remarks of MBS on Israel inadvertently reminded US administration’s
indirect role in heralding the coming together of Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Indeed, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner in charge of
Israel-Palestine issue is now widely believed to have played a crucial role in
bringing about some change in Saudi’s approach towards Israel. Middle East
lately has become iconic hub for dramatic shift in geopolitical strategies.
Jordan and Egypt having shorn off animosity have thus warmed up to Israel. With
Iranian expansion on rise in Middle East, countries have decidedly kept old
rivalries away and inching closer to forging new relations for shared interests.
In fact, these tangible new changes aptly be reflected in Saudi Arabia granting
permission for Indian Airlines passenger flights to fly over its domestic air
space. Till now, Indo-Israel flights used to take the circuitous route over the
Red Sea, Gulf of Aden to avoid entering countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran,
Pakistan and Afghanistan which don’t recognize Israel. Official approval from
Saudi Arabia has cut short the journey by 2hrs 10 min.
On March 23rd, AI 139
flew maiden flight from Delhi that landed at the Ben Gurion airport Tel Aviv
flying over Saudi Arabia. It has been a historic moment for India. This
couldn’t have been a reality but for the meticulous diplomatic maneuvering of
both India and Israel prime ministers and of course Saudi Arabia. Prime
Minister Modi’s West Asian policy deserves all the credit for making this
historic flight a possibility. Interestingly, Indian Airlines alone was given
permission to fly over Saudi Arabia while Israeli Air lines, El AI is denied
the access and had to operate along its old route. Welcoming this iconic
development, Saudi official said, “We
have to be very cautious. This is really a first step-a very important one…I hope
with times we have more normal reaction with our neighbor in the region. India
has played a very important bridge (by introducing the flight over Saudi space)
not only between India and us but also between Israel and other countries in
the region”. Saudi Arabia besides thanking India for its initiative acknowledged
New Delhi’s crucial role in fostering relations between nations in the region. The
flight AI 139 from Delhi, avoiding Pakistan and Afghanistan, first travelled to
Mumbai and from there it flew over Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The only other instance, when Saudi
Arabia opened its airspace for Israel was to US Air Force One of President
Trump who visited Riyadh in May last year. India getting that rare distinction
and trust is a matter to reckon with.
India’s renewed engagement with
West Asian countries coupled with regular high-level visits is yielding
results. Be it Jordanian and Israeli
helicopters guiding and guarding Prime Minister Modi’s convoy on his visit to
Palestine or deportation of Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Mansoor Mohammed Farooq alias
Farooq Takla, a wanted terrorist in Mumbai blasts of 1993 by UAE. All these
latest developments distinctly endorse success of Modi’s “Link West Policy”. Though
Opposition ruthlessly derided Modi government’s supreme efforts in finding a
logical end to the missing case of 39 Indians in Mosul, Iraq, retrieval of
bodies, ascertaining their identities through DNA tests couldn’t have been
possible but for the cooperation of the Iraq government. All the above clearly
underscores the success of India’s west Asia diplomacy. Needless to say, direct
flights between India and Israel will go a long way in enhancing economic
activity and people to people connect. It gives much need fillip to Indo-Israel
bilateral ties.
Some diplomats claim that the spade
work for the direct flight between both countries is almost two years old, when
President Obama along with Permanent five managed to successfully conclude Iran
nuclear agreement. Saudi Arabia and Israel strongly protested the deal for
failing Iran pay price for its nuclear ambitions and presaged Tehran will be
emboldened. Both countries believed Iran would be a greater threat and began to
reach out to each other. Around the same time, India revved up its ties with
both Israel and Saudi Arabia and this triangular mutual amiability made way
eventual roll of direct flight between India and Israel.
Besides Iran, other unifying
factors have been Syrian unrest and Islamic state. Saudi Arabia having initially supported
Islamic terror is now feeling the heat of them same is looking forward to
collaborating with Israel which is deeply concerned about Islamic extremism.
Saudi Arabia’s interest in India is two-fold-growing Indian economy aside offering
better opportunities for investments and new businesses is tipped to become
third largest consumer of Oil. Moreover, with the US, the largest consumer of
oil now turning into exporter of oil and European economy slowing down making Asian
countries-India and China most favored markets for oil exports. Saudi Arabia is
now increasingly convinced of the need for diversifying the economy instead of
relying completely on Petrodollars. To bring in such a transformation,
traditional policies must be replaced with more investor-friendly institutions
like its neighbor UAE, which has become synonymous to development and progress.
Threatened by radical Islamism, determined MBS is ushering country onto a
reformist track. The sale of Armaco for liquidating assets, arrest of Saudi
Princes and Royal elite over corruption, introducing new reforms like allowing
women to drive cars, opening cinema theatres and stadiums have been part of the
huge exercise towards creating investment friendly environment.
Now by opening airspace, Saudi has
indicated that it values Indian friendship and interested in doing business.
India’s approach of staying away from the sectarian conflicts in the Middle
East despite its economic dependence on the region and focusing on the tacit
strategic autonomy of maintaining friendly ties with warrying countries like
Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the region all at the same time is now paying
off. Direct flight between India and Israel, facilitated by Saudi Arabia which
was even unthinkable is a reality. Thanks to the Modi’s doctrine of advancing
India’s economic and strategic interests uncompromisingly, India pulled off an
impossibility.
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