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Perhaps the best way to describe India’s position vis-à-vis Israel is “enigmatic.” For centuries India was unfamiliar with an
Read More »While Israel’s expectations and gains from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit beginning tomorrow (4 July) are well articulated, what doe
Read More »Hysteria. This is perhaps the best way to explain the Indian media coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel. The historic nature of
Read More »Capitalising on the prevailing political conditions in the Middle East Prime Minister Narendra Modi has irreversibly transformed the century-old India
Read More »How does one read the three-day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel? Both before and during the visit there has been a running commentary
Read More »Two Jews, three political parties! This maxim captures the deeply ingrained debate culture and democratic spirit of the Jewish people. As symbolized b
Read More »India’s relations with Israel can be described within four broad historical processes that date back to the early part of the 20th century. The
Read More »Coincidence or diplomatic convenience! If India describes its diplomatic engagements with Turkey and its two regional adversaries, Cyprus and Armenia,
Read More »Indian and international media have been speculating about Narendra Modi visiting Israel ever since he became Prime Minister in May 2014. While covera
Read More »A quarter of a century after the normalization of relations between India and Israel, the strength of Indo-Israeli ties can be measured by the continu
Read More »Deafening silence! This is perhaps the best way to describe the news about a prime ministerial visit to Israel. Ever since Narendra Modi assumed offic
Read More »Though Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not formally rejected the invitation, Israel’s participation in the Paris conference
Read More »When, not whether? Many observers have pondered over this question regarding a prime ministerial visit to Israel ever since Narendra Modi assumed offi
Read More »US deals a blow to Israel’s faith and dependence upon Washington by abstaining rather than vetoing the UN Security Council Resolution on the set
Read More »The Maharashtra government’s recent decision to grant ‘minority’ status to the microscopic Jewish community in the state opens an in
Read More »Passing through the arch bearing the inscription meaning “Work Will Set You Free”, one is engulfed with diverse thoughts and emotions. The
Read More »Though created with much fanfare in the 1990s, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is yet another official body with skewed priorities and fu
Read More »Succumbing to political correctness, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the premier UN body, has turned revisi
Read More »Even by its notorious standards, the Middle East is passing through a turbulent phase without any overarching vision or way out. Military means appear
Read More »One week is too long a time in the Middle East and it is difficult, even dangerous, to be an optimist. The choice, therefore, is between the uncertain
Read More »Clandestine. This has become a common nomenclature while discussing political and diplomatic engagements with Israel and reflects an inherent duality
Read More »“He could have balanced his visit to the Western Wall by also visiting the Al-Aqsa mosque,” observed a learned colleague. This was in refe
Read More »These days even in Bollywood, the villain is not entirely villainous nor the saint completely saintly. To depict one as THE villain and the other as T
Read More »Historically the Middle East has been peripheral to China. The end of the Sino-Soviet rivalry and China’s drive for energy security brough
Read More »Massacres. There is no other way to explain the spiralling violence that has been unleashed in Cairo and other parts of Egypt. With no political settl
Read More »Israel is increasingly drawn into the uncertain consequences of the Syrian civil war. For many, the beleaguered Bashar al-Assad is better than the jih
Read More »False messiah! This is perhaps the best way to depict Mohamed Morsi who was deposed on Wednesday as the President of Egypt. Exactly a year ago, he bec
Read More »Voluntary abdication in favour of the next generation? It is a rarity among monarchies, and even after six decades, Queen Elizabeth is in no mood to h
Read More »The recent visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Saudi Arabia, which one by an Indian External Affairs Minister happened more than fiv
Read More »When maverick Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cries foul, obviously things are awfully wrong with the forthcoming June presidential election in
Read More »The Middle East Institute, New Delhi (MEI@ND) organized a lecture series on Understanding Islam from 1-6 April 2013 at the School of International Stu
Read More »On Wednesday 27 February 2013 the Middle East Institute, New Delhi (MEI@ND) organized a Round Table on Egypt Today at the India International Centre.
Read More »Some in this audience, members of a tribe adept at eulogizing or lamenting its golden past, are also familiar with the tradition and practices of comm
Read More »In association with the India International Centre (IIC), the Middle East Institute (MEI@ND) organized a Round Table on Arab Spring or Arab Winter? on
Read More »In partnership with the India International Centre, New Delhi (IIC), on Monday 4 February the Middle East Institute, New Delhi (MEI@ND) organized a ro
Read More »Since the end of the Cold War, India’s relations with Israel and Iran have improved considerably. The normalisation of relations with Israel in
Read More »Fragile. This is perhaps the best way to depict the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which came into effect on Wednesday night. Going by past experience, both
Read More »Over the years, Israel and the US have evolved an understanding that transcends the worldview of the occupants of the White House or Smolenskin Street
Read More »If Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was enamoured by the warmth, hospitality, assistance and above all the ceremonial guard of honour in New Delhi,
Read More »In collaboration with India International Center, on 3 September 2012 the MEI@ND organized a round table on China and the Middle East. Dr. Jon A
Read More »Mohammad Mursi, as the first democratically-elected President of Egypt, is a novelty in the Arab Middle East. Otherwise, since the end of World War II
Read More »Much to American anger and displeasure, India is in no mood to reduce its energy ties with Iran. Let us say that the Indian policy makers are cognizan
Read More »India’s position on oil sanctions against Iran has become a riddle that defies conventional explanations. The odds are heavily loaded against it
Read More »At last India broke its silence on Syria. Since the outbreak of the Arab Spring in January 2011, India has maintained a studied silence towards the Mi
Read More »For a change the Indian Government is being loud and clear. Speaking to reporters during his two-day visit seeking American investments, Finance Minis
Read More »The bombing of an Israeli diplomat’s car in New Delhi poses some harsh and delicate challenges for the Indian government. Fortunately the damage
Read More »Speaking to reporters in Chicago, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was defiant and categorical: it is not possible for India to reduce oil imports fr
Read More »The two-day visit of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Israel and the Palestinian territories has been receiving widespread attention both with
Read More »The Middle East Institute organised a two-day workshop (10th November to 12th November, 2011) at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
Read More »The Middle East Institute, New Delhi organized its first public event India and the Arab Spring: Implications and Options on Friday 28 October 2011. H
Read More »The death of Crown Prince Sultan will undoubtedly hasten reforms in the Saudi succession process. Once the three-day mourning period ended, King Abdul
Read More »One prisoner for 1,027 convicts! At first sight, the asymmetry looks unusual, unprecedented and even dangerous; especially if the country in question
Read More »Jerusalem is back with a bang. Speaking at the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lamented at the ‘unresol
Read More »India’s position on the Libyan unrest, or non-position as some might call, has come under scrutiny and criticism. The official reluctance to mak
Read More »After me deluge! This isthe last line of defence for many beleaguered leaders. When their survival is at stake, leaders worldwide take refuge on the s
Read More »A week is too long in politics, goes the conventional wisdom. So 18 years should be a millennium, especially in the Middle East. The historic handshak
Read More »The twelve-hour stopover in Amman proved to be an education. Rather than seeing the South Asian expatriate community in the Middle East as mere statis
Read More »Energy supplies from Iran are back in the news and for all the wrong reasons. For years, Iran captured the limelight over the much hyped and yet to ma
Read More »Who after? Democracies are often confronted by this question, especially after a strong and powerful leader. This is so when democracies tend to have
Read More »Scores of Indians who have never met K Subrahmanyam or worked with him at any of the institutions he has served have developed tremendous respect an
Read More »Will democracy usher in in the post-Mubarak Egypt? Uncertain. This would be the honest answer. The future of Egypt depends entirely on the kind of e
Read More »What’s in store for the Middle East? There are no clues. This has not prevented many from wishful thinking and kite flying. None can f
Read More »Speaking at a bilateral conference in the capital on 5 July 2010 Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was highly critical of the American sanctions agains
Read More »This is our hundredth publication since the launch of the MEI in February this year. Thirty-three scholars have written for us so far. Seventeen are f
Read More »Notwithstanding the euphoria, India’s election to the United Nations Security Council is more of a challenge than a cause for celebration. Tru
Read More »The controversy surrounding the shooting on the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmaraon 31 May by Israeli soldiers is yet another proof that a balanc
Read More »(Almost twenty years after the Iraqi invasion and perceived pro-Saddam stand taken by King Hussein, the ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Sabha al Ahme
Read More »(In a powerful editorial leading the Cairo-based Al-Ahram castigated the political parties and their responsibility for the absence of democracy a
Read More »The Saudi visitor and the silent Indian media By P R Kumaraswamy Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh, was in New Delhi in mid-Ap
Read More »Return of the settlement row by P R Kumaraswamy One feels déjà vu over the visible tension between President Barack Obama and Prime M
Read More »Bibi tampers with the umbilical cord by P R Kumaraswamy The manner in which the government of Benjamin Netanyahu handled the American sensi
Read More »Passport? Just a piece of paper by P R Kumaraswamy Just a piece of paper. That was how the renowned painter M F Husain described the Indi
Read More »El-Baradei upsets Mubarak by P R Kumaraswamy Having completed his two terms as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed
Read More »Despite less popular nomenclature, the Middle East developments have more far-reaching implications for India than commonly recognised. The region nor
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