New regime takes charge in Israel, pledges to work closely with India
New Delhi: There is a change of guard in Israel. A new regime under the leadership of Naftali Bennet has taken charge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated his new Isareli counterpart Naftali Bennet and expressed hope that both will be meeting soon and take necessary steps for "deepening the strategic partnership" between two countries.
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New Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid has thanked his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar for his good wishes. "I look forward to working together to advance the strategic relations between our countries and hope to welcome you to Israel soon," the Israeli Minister wrote in the micro blogging site.
"Excellency @naftalibennett, congratulations on becoming the Prime Minister of Israel. As we celebrate 30 years of the upgradation of diplomatic relations next year, I look forward to meeting you and deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
He also conveyed his thanks to the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he had developed a personal bond.
"As you complete your successful tenure as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, I convey my profound gratitude for your leadership and personal attention to India-Israel strategic partnership," Mr Modi wrote in the micro blogging site Twitter.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also complimented his new counterpart in Israel, Yair Lapid. "Congratulate APM & FM @yairlapid of Israel on his appointment. Look forward to working closely together to further advance our multifaceted strategic partnership," Dr Jaishankar tweeted.
The Modi government has given a sincere boost to the Israel-India ties. The BJP leaders have always favoured a stronger Indo-Israeli friendship.
Modi's first foreign minister Sushma Swaraj (now deceased) had even called herself an admirer of Israel.
Way back in 2008 as a BJP leader, Sushma had called Israel “a reliable partner” for India. Of course, lately during the peak of Israeli-Palestine armed conflict, India had abstained from voting at the UN Human Rights Council.
The move was later defended strongly.
"....The position that we took (at UNHRC) is not a new position. And we have abstained on previous occasions and I think that explains our position quite clearly," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters at a virtual media conference.
Earlier in January this year, a low intensity blast took place near the Israeli embassy on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in New Delhi on Friday. While three cars were damaged no one was injured, police have said.
New Israeli Prime Minister Bennett is himself aware of international polity and geo-strategic issues. He has worked for the outgoing PM Netanyahu as a senior aide between 2006 and 2008.
However, he quit Netanyahu’s Likud party later.
Bennett later aligned himself with the right wing national religious Jewish Home party, and entered Parliament as its representative in 2013.
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| Vajpayee regime also pushed enhanced Indo-Israel ties |
Even Mangoes can be sour, Several countries reject Pak Mango diplomacy
"Every year, the President of Pakistan sends high-quality mangoes as gift to selected countries as part of goodwill and to promote our trade diplomacy efforts," Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri has said.
The remarks came after there were media reports that its longtime associate and 'sponsor' the United States and 'iron brother' China have rejected the supplies.
Media reports claimed said that the 'chaunsa variety' of mangoes from Pakistan were sent to these countries on behalf of President Dr Arif Alvi. The boxes of mangoes are also likely to be supplied to Iran, Gulf countries, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Russia.
As of now officially Pakistan has denied reports of rejection of the mangoes by China and the United States.
The Pak foreign office spokesman said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares a list of countries keeping in view quarantine regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements as well as availability of flights. Since last year, Covid-19 related stipulations are also part of the consideration.
For the current year, the process is still in the planning stage. As such, there is no question of dispatch of mangoes to any country.”
"A section of the Indian media has carried wrong and irresponsible reports," he said. “We have seen media reports regarding dispatch of Pakistani mangoes last week as gift to some foreign dignitaries. We reject these reports as factually incorrect and misleading".
The mango exports from Pakistan increased to $104 million in 2019-20 from $78 million the previous year.
Reports also claimed that Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada and Egypt too expressed regrets to accept the seasonal fruit.
Pakistan has been sending mango consignments to heads of other nations since 1981. In the past, Mangoes, also known as the king of fruits in the sub-continent, have been sent to nations like Australia and India to better relations between the nations.
In 2015, Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sent mangoes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then president Pranab Mukherjee, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi.
In 2010, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gillani gifted a case of mangoes weighing 20 kilos to every Indian diplomat who visited Pakistan in the run up to the Foreign Secretary-level talks and the third SAARC Conference of Home Ministers.
Popular mangoes included in consignments for ‘mango diplomacy’ include the Anwar Ratol and Sindhari varieties.
India too has practised mango diplomacy. Colonial India, in 1933, has sent mangoes as gifts to Sweden and Holland to develop mango markets.
Digvijaya Singh makes news on Art 370; but is the timing not important ?
New Delhi:
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's remarks on Article 370 may not be one of those media outbursts often made by the neta class. The timing is also crucial.
Dreaming about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'exit', a leading Pak newspaper in an article rejoices tough challenges for the former US President Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu too.
After all, certain happenings and rhetoric more often reflect the dream project of a particular variety of thought process. Here the dream is not that ambitious; it is to get rid of the 'Modi regime'.
Remember Mani Shankar Aiyar, the illustrious Congress leader and known for his affinity to Sonia Gandhi-Rahul duo.
He was emphatic in year 2015 itself and had said that Pakistan should get rid of Modi as India's Prime Minister.
"Bring us (the Congress) back to power and remove them. There is no other way (to improve the Indo-Pak relations). We will remove them, but till then you (Pakistan) have to wait," Aiyar had said on Nov 17, 2015 to a Pakistani TV channel.
Now close on the heels of Digvijaya's outbursts, BJP IT cell chief, Amit Malviya said in a missive:
"In a Club House chat, Rahul Gandhi’s top aide Digvijaya Singh tells a Pakistani journalist that if Congress comes to power they will reconsider the decision of abrogating Article 370…Really? Yehi toh Pakistan Chahta hae (This is what Pakistan wants)".
Digvijaya Singh told a Pakistani journalist (audio of which went viral) that back in power, the Congress party will relook into the Modi government's decision of scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.
As stated above, the timing is vital.
Just a few days back (June 8, 2021) an article published in Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn' expressed hope that "Excellent chances exist for the script to work against the BJP".
The piece claims UP chief Minister Yogi Adityanath faces challenges in Uttar Pradesh polls due by March 2022. The piece also advises opposition parties including the Congress and the communists to work together along with others against the BJP.
"After the drubbing in recent polls, the Congress and the Left have an opportunity to unconditionally support local groups in UP and retrieve their lost appeal," the article runs.
It further says: "When India’s most populous state changes hands, it could also decide the opposition’s chances of dethroning the prime minister (Modi) in 2024 just as it critically helped him win power in 2014 and again in 2019".
The article from Dawn's New Delhi correspondent Jawed Naqvi says, "A useful pointer to Narendra Modi’s political quandary lies in the clear chance that his party (BJP) could be defeated in Uttar Pradesh in elections due in March".
"Two of Modi’s most egregious right-wing mates are down but not necessarily out — Donald Trump in the US and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. Both were accused of grossly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak in their countries," Naqvi wrote in reference to two globally popular right-wing leaders.
The writer has been also hopeful - "The coalition in Israel that has come together with the sole purpose of keeping Netanyahu out, and to probably make him face criminal charges pending before the courts, may achieve this laudable goal in the end". The piece also refers to Brazil and throws light on political future of Brazil's incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro.
"There’s some good news for genuine democracy though. Should there be a change in Brazil, where Modi’s friend Jair Bolsonaro appears to be on a sticky wicket, his potential challenger Lula da Silva could defeat him next year," it says.
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