“Namaste Sharon” – Hindutva and Israel
Vijay Prashad PhD, an India-born American, is the author of the book “Namaste Sharon: Hindutva and Sharonism under US hegemony (2003), which addresses the close relationship between India and Israel based on the common hatred toward Muslims of the extremist Hindus (BJP) and Zionist Jews. Vijay Prashad is author of 11 books and a columnist whose articles appear on PRAGOTI and several other websites. Vijay was recipient of Muzzafar Ahmad Book Award (2009), which is named after India’s great Communist ideologist and strategist. Interestingly, the Financial Times (FT) chose Muslim mass-murderer (for the death of over 2,000 Muslim men, women and children – and cleansing of Ahmadabad city of 800,000 Muslim population in 2002), Narendra Modi, as the Asian Personality of 2009. That shows where the magazine’s loyalty is.
Vijay wrote that when the Hindu extremist political parties formed the government in New Delhi in 1998 – their leaders turned to a foreign country (Israel) which harbor great hatred toward Muslims for inspiration. The BJP draws its votes through propagating Islamophobia, developed an understanding the Israelis have found a magical solution to their own neighborhood. The main admirer of Israeli achievment in ethnic-cleansing of the native Muslims and Christians among Hindutva leadership was BJP leader A.K. Advani who visited Israel in 1995 to draw some anti-Muslim strength from Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2000 Advani revisited Israel as Indian Home Minister. At the Indian embassy Advani said: “In recent years we have been facing a growing internal security problem. We are concerned with cross-border terrorism launched by proxies of Pakistan. We share with Israel a common perception of terrorism as a menace, even more so when coupled with religious fundamentalism. Our mutual determination to combat terrorism is the basis for discussions with Israel, whose reputation in dealing with such problems is quite successful.”
Israel sent a slew of Mossad agents into India to give the party of political Hinduism a hand. Israel’s former Ambassador to India, Yehoyada Haim acknowledged that the Israelis helped India during the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan, and other such moments, but hastily pointed out, “The less we said about these matters, the better for both our countries.” In 2000, Haim spoke highly of the Indian many consider to be close to Likud, “Mr. Advani is a very unique man. I like him very much. Ideologically and personally he reminds me of some people from an earlier generation of Israelis. He was very happy as he could personally see the methods we’ve developed to fight terrorism. He also met Mossad’s head. Now, we’re going to examine what counter-terrorism methods are appropriate for India. For example, Israel is totally fenced by the most sophisticated electronic fences, but how can India achieve that in a jungle or high up on a mountain? The head of Mossad took down notes and is now doing his homework (on India).”
Vijay Prashad in his latest article titled My Investment in Israel, wrote:
Not only did the BJP import Mossad-type methods to deal with terrorism, but the political Hindu parties have also adopted Tel Aviv’s geopolitical theory of terrorism. And more practically, during the BJP reign, and even under the subsequent Congress rule, India has become a major importer of Israeli arms. In 2009, bilateral military trade between the two countries reached $9 billion. India is one of the main customers of the Israeli weapon’s industry, another subsidy provided from afar for the occupation of the moth-eaten Palestinian territory. It should be said that whereas the BJP is eager for an ideological convergence with Tel Aviv (as I argue in Namaste Sharon), the Congress is not so clear. As Yiftah Shapir of Tel Aviv University’s Insitute for National Security Studies puts it, India is a not a reliable ally since it has not fully “given up its non-aligned identity….India’s behavior in international forums does not indicate that it can be relied on to help Israel in any difficult situation. India’s position on all aspects of the Israeli-Arab conflict is not a neutral one, rather is decidedly pro-Palestinian.” A true friend of Israel is one who would bend knee to its every whim, viz. the U. S. India does not yet qualify.
I write about Israel to debunk its myth. It has not been able to subdue the Palestinian spirit, or the Palestinian political world, or the threat of violence against its own citizens. Rather, the Israeli military has only been able to put its foot on the throat of the Palestinians, who as yet are able to voice their complaints, and scream their dreams. I don’t believe that New Delhi can learn any lessons from Tel Aviv. The outrageous of Indian military actions in Kashmir and the unnecessary exertions against the tribal in central India are examples of India’s own excesses. It needs little assistance. Other examples are necessary for a progressive solution: political settlements, acknowledgment of mutual complaints and mutual interests.
I also write about Israel in the hope that others will join in the campaign to end our subsidy for its human rights violations, this both from the U. S. taxpayer and from the Indian government (in the arms purchases). Israel is dependent on the U. S. taxpayer. Its military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is only possible because of the U. S. disbursement. Absent our monetary support, it will be not able to continue in the current manner.
http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2010/04...va-and-israel/