Forty-seven years after the formation of Israel, India established full diplomatic relations with Israel (even though the diamond traders and military advisors from that country had interacted with India in the past). In 2000 India made its first defence purchases from Israel. In less than a decade, India is Israel’s largest defense customer and Israel is among the top suppliers to India.
One of the factors NOT contributing to this rapid acceleration is Bollywood-style video shown by Israel’s Rafael Industries at the Aero India airshow. Bad singing accompanies an apparently galant, sunglass-wearing mock Israeli male protecting a group of mid-riffing baring, undulating Indian women. Tel Aviv, what were you thinking? You’ve got to see/hear it to believe it.
