Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific by Jagannath P. Panda Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell

Author:Jagannath P. Panda, Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell [Jagannath P. Panda, Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies
ISBN: 9781000521214
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2021-12-28T05:00:00+00:00

9 Israel, India and Quad Plus

Searching for alternatives to Western perspectives

Giuseppe Dentice

DOI: 10.4324/9781003206408-12

Introduction: Israel’s Asianisation strategy

The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created the premise for a new international scenario, with numerous countries strengthening and diversifying their global relations and alliances. This approach has been one of the main tools and initiatives also for Israel’s rapprochement with Asian countries. A rebalancing process from West to East that has been accelerated by several variables related both to the country’s domestic national interests and its new international ambitions. Moreover, this realignment has been based on Israel’s assumption that Asian powers will dominate several world dynamics. In this gradual switch from a pro-Western perspective to an Eastward-looking vision, Israel began to undertake a number of initiatives to engage the main Asian powers. In this regard, Israel has also been attracted to expanding its diplomatic network, engaging in good relations with Asian powers such as China, India and Japan. From the Israeli perspective, this is a choice aimed not to replace its strategic alliance with the United States and its important trade relations with Europe (63 per cent of Israel’s trade is still with Western partners),1 but instead an attempt to balance its Western alliances and interests with stronger economic and strategic ties in Asia.2 Nevertheless, this Israeli recalibration in foreign policy is part of an old strategy peculiar to its history and its needs, based on the quest for security and legitimacy. This path, indeed, is a new version of the country’s traditional “periphery doctrine”, an ambitious multidimensional strategy aimed to develop close “peripheral alliances” with non-Arab Muslim states in the Middle Eastern neighbourhood.3

As noted by Jacob Abadi, this approach isn’t new in Israeli history. In fact, since the foundation of Israel, its institutions tried to engage Asian countries to overcome its isolation in Western Asia and in the international community. But the Israeli decision to support the UN military action in the Korean War (1950–1953) and its direct participation, with the UK and France, in the Suez Crisis (1956) alienated the sympathies of the main Asian leaders, making it fail in its attempt to appear as a non-aligned nation. Israel’s acceptance in Asia began in the mid-1990s, after the establishment of full diplomatic ties with China and India (1992). In this path, Jerusalem searched for new partnerships outside Israel’s immediate regional sphere.4

As part of Israel’s new policy towards Asia, the Indo-Pacific become a priority in terms of international foreign policy and global geo-economic targets. In particular, closer ties with India are perceived by Israeli policy-makers as a step serving to exert leverage and influence in Asia. From this perspective, good relations with India help Israel’s multidimensional goals based on (1) containing Iran in Western Asia; (2) shaping the future international status of Israel as a new middle power in Asia; and (3) contributing to forging a strong regional system in the Indo-Pacific and to penetrating newly enlarged markets. In addition, good relations with India

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