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Israel offers India help to counter terrorism

Harsh Dobhal in Jerusalem

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has said Tel Aviv fully supports New Delhi's claim for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. He said New Delhi should be included in NATO too as it has sided with the US and Europe in the war against terrorism.

On the eve of his India visit, Peres said India is an important country in Asia, a very good friend of Israel and that Tel Aviv is seeking New Delhi's support "to advance the (Middle East) peace process."

Describing India as a combination of fascinating factors, the former prime minister said that Israel supported "full-heartedly the acceptance of India" in the UN Security Council.

"Within a decade of establishment of ties between Israel and India, bilateral ties have flourished and the bond of friendship is getting stronger as relations are being forged in newer areas," Peres told PTI in an interview.

Arguing that India, China, Russia and Japan should join NATO as they have sided with the US and Europe in the war against terrorism, Peres said we are moving from a world of enemies to a world of dangers which are global but without armies.

"NATO does not have an enemy today," he said, "so why not join NATO and make it an instrument with all its resources to confront today's dangers instead of yesterday's enemies."

Peres, principal architect of the 1993 Oslo peace accords which initiated a process of Israeli withdrawal from West Bank and Gaza territories, said Israel wanted the Kashmir issue to be settled within the framework of Simla agreement.

On the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Peres said after the relative quiet and drop in violence in recent days, the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Yasser Arafat must make one major decision. "Palestinian Authority should be in charge of all the arms and all the carriers of arms."

He said there were different groups, each of them with their own arms, own guns and shooting at their own consideration.

"The Palestinians have to establish a central authority, not in order to save Israel but for their own sake. It is either Arafat will overcome his challengers that are armed or the challengers will overcome him."

Asked what kind of future Palestinian state did he visualise, Peres spoke warmly of the ties the Jewish state would like to have with Palestinians and help build their economy.

"I have not changed. I visualise an independent, prosperous Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel," Peres, who shared Nobel peace prize with Arafat and late Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin, said.

When asked what kind of commonalities did he see between India and Israel in terms of threat perceptions emanating from terrorism, Peres said there were "some characteristics which are equal to all terrorists."

He said Israel had unfortunately become a victim and "an experienced country in this domain. We can offer our expertise" to India.

PTI

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