So far the relationship had been in secret.

bq. Prime Minister Moraji Desai invited Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan for secret talks in 1977. Dayan, whose face was well known at the time because of an eye patch, masqueraded on the flight there, recalled Naftali Lavi who had been his spokesman. They returned empty handed.

bq. During clashes with Pakistan, India secretly asked Israel for weapons. It sought mortars and mortar bombs without Israeli markings, got them, and publicly continued to condemn Israel, Yegar confirmed.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is in India now and this is a great step in relations because this is the first ever visit by an Israeli PM to India.

Everyone Muslim leader in India is now shouting that this can cause some bad relations with the Arabs. I don’t understand this part. They never “supported us”:http://www.westerndefense.org/bulletins/Dec-01.htm anyways during the China War and 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan and we always had to pay the market price for oil.

And at the “same time”:http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_365417,0008.htm

bq. Israel earned big points with New Delhi when, during Kargil, it sent over the laser-guided missiles that allowed India’s Mirages to bust Pakistan’s bunkers.

Subramanyam Swamy correcty “wrote”:http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_363453,0008.htm

bq. His visit is welcome to 80 per cent of Indians, who are grateful to Israel for the unconditional assistance given to Indian during all wars since the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962

India’s biggest enemy is Islamic terrorism and any country that can help us fight this menace should be treated as our best friend.

[Sources, “UPI”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=316620]