If the Indian prime minister does hear from Arab rulers before his Israel visit, it may very well be in the form of requests to convey cautious felicitations. And yet, no Arab state has voiced any displeasure, not publicly, and not even through diplomatic back-channels. West Asian diplomats quizzed by my colleagues at Hindustan Times have shrugged off the idea of Modi’s visit as a matter of realpolitik. But Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and most other Arab states have no formal relations with Israel: most of them don’t even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. So, if Modi does hear from Arab rulers before his visit to Israel, it may very well be in the form of requests to convey cautious felicitations.

Source: Mint March 28, 2017 18:33 UTC