Priyanka May be gen-seC
Priyanka Vadra, who has emerged as a major player in the Congress, is tipped to be party general secretary after the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. She has been playing a backroom role for quite some time, but came to the forefront as her mother took a back seat and as Rahul needed help. Apparently, she got certain internal surveys done, which said that the Congress should not go to the polls alone. It was after this that she got involved in trying to strike an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. She will be monitoring the polls in UP, but not campaign extensively, lest she be blamed if the Congress puts up a poor show.
On the occasion of 25 years of the establishment of IndiaIsraeli diplomatic relations, Israel’s Ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon spoke to Anando Bhakto. Excerpts: Q: The year 2017 marks 25 years of full diplomatic relations between India and Israel. What are the achievements of the past and what may be expected from the next 25 years? A: India and Israel are two countries that are very different in size, population, and geo-political surroundings. Yet they share very similar challenges and values, and they do share and could share similar solutions. As opposed to those who view these relations as that of help and assistance, I categorically do not accept this as a definition of the very special relations India and Israel have. We have developed a cooperation in which the two countries are contributing very well as per their comparative strengths. We plan the same for the next 25, 50, or 75 years. The relations are based on a lot of confidence. We have felt this confidence throughout the years, when we were always there for each other, despite the fact that total visibility in the relations was relatively quiet and relatively modest at times, if not very modest.
Since our independence in 1948, when the British mandate was lifted, we started developing what can be seen today as a “development laboratory”. We had the task of starting from scratch and building a society, an economy, and institutions. The task of nation building involved all the aspects of daily life and we found many solutions in this so-called laboratory. What you see today in Israel is a vibrant society, vibrant economy. It is a very stable, secure country. Part of this laboratory is also about sharing our knowhow.
We have managed to build eco-systems of technology and to build what is called the Start-Up Nation which added so many solutions to the changing world in the area of technology, IT, health and medical solutions. With India we have developed very unique relations, and the completion of 25 years of those relations is an important date. We look back at those 25 years with much satisfaction. There are many success stories that we have achieved together.
Now it is time to reflect in what we have achieved during these 25 years and look into what we will achieve in the next 25. Q: The Presidents of the two countries have already made diplomatic visits to India and Israel respectively. There are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Israel in the first half of 2017, followed by a reciprocal visit by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Can you confirm this? What is the significance of such reciprocal visits? A: There are no dates fixed yet for those two visits, but they will happen and they must happen. In the last two years, there have been a growing number of reciprocal visits, with Ministers of Defence, Science and Technology, Homeland Security and Home Affairs visiting both countries. The Presidents have made visits, so it