Lecture on ‘Middle East Peace Process-Israel’s Security’ by India Foundation?

India has a key role in West Asia peace process

—Yashwant Sinha

“Growing Arab-sponsored radicalism in the Middle East region has emerged as a major security threat not only to India and Israel but also to the entire region. Unless we go for a comprehensive peace process, we cannot achieve the lasting peace. Therefore, it is time India should join hands with other friendly countries to play a larger role in establishing a genuine peace process in the entire Middle East region,” said former Union Minister   of External Affairs and senior BJP leader Shri Yashwant Sinha. He was delivering a lecture in New Delhi on peace process in the Middle East.

The Lecture was organised by India Foundation at India International Centre on December 6.  Prof. Efraimlnbar, director of Begin Sadat (BESA) Centre for Strategic Studies, Bar Ilan University, Israel, delivered the lecture on ‘Middle East Peace Process-Israel’s Security’. Dr Chandan Mitra, editor of The Pioneer and Rajya Sabha MP, moderated the discussion. Dr Mitra is also one of the directors of India Foundation.

The distinguished gathering present on the occasion included former Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Dr Rama Jois, former Lt. Governor of Delhi Shri Vijay Kapoor, former Union Minister Shri Arif Mohammad Khan, senior journalist Shri Kanchan Gupta, noted advocate Smt Meenakshi Lekhi, RSS National Executive Member Shri Ram Madhav and others.

Suggesting New Delhi to play a proactive role in the peace process, Shri Sinha cautioned that the West should not be involved in the peace process. “Without depending on the Western world, the developing counties can negotiate to resolve the crisis,” he said. He also stressed the need to keep a close watch on the Arab Spring and also on the nuclear activities of Iran, as both could prove to be very fatal in the days to come. Expressing solidarity with Israel he said one similarity between India and Israel is that both the countries live with rough neighbours. He also said that peace can be achieved only by negotiated dialogue and not by military actions.

Presenting Israeli perspective on the Middle East crisis, Professor EfraimInbar, who specialises in Middle Eastern strategic issues and politics and strategies of Israel’s national security, spoke about the security ramification of the Arab Spring for Israel and said the so-called revolution can turn into an ‘Islamic Winter’, of further radicalisation of Islam. Foreseeing little hope of improvement in the deplorable state of affairs, he said: “Power difference between our neighbours is growing, but we see emergence of a new elites-Radical Islamist.”

Noting that the ‘new elites’ are not experienced in dealing with delicate foreign or defence affairs, Prof Efraimlnbar said, “They may be less cautious and put the region into trouble.” He also noted the growing perception that the US had let its Arab allies down while doing nothing to support popular uprisings against hostile regimes. He pointed to the weakening of the Arab States due to their failure to modernise, which in his view, could lead to civil war and their slide into the category of failed states.

Maintaining that one of Israel’s main security problems is Iran’s dogged quest for nuclear weapons, he said nuclear Iran will change Middle East and can affect India also, as it will be closer to allies like Russia or China. He added that it would lead to nuclear proliferation in Middle East.

Commenting on the reports of Iran going to nuclear, Dr Chandan Mitra said, “It is a frightening scenario if Iran goes nuclear, politically and officially.” He agreed that a “grim scenario” prevailed in the Middle East and said that India can indeed play an important role in building the peace process. After a question-answer session Shri Shaurya Doval, director of India Foundation, proposed a vote of thanks.

(FOC)?