New Delhi : In the growing list of allies who have pledged support to India for its border crisis in Ladakh, Israel could be a game changer given that, its announcement for ‘all possible help’ in Ladakh has saw a complete withdrawal of Chinese troops from Patrol Point 15 along the LAC.
In a telephonic exchange between defence minister, Rajnath Singh and his Israeli counterpart Lt Gen Benjamin Gantz, they discussed “possibilities of further strengthening the defence engagements”.Rajnath Singh invited greater participation of Israeli companies in defence manufacturing given the now liberalized foreign direct investment norms. Meanwhile, discussions with French defence minister for an India visit is also underway.
Also, he Indonesian defence minister, Prabowo Suianto, is expected to visit New Delhi coming Monday to discuss regional issues and expansion of defence ties with new joint naval exercises. India and Indonesia have been working together in the maritime domain, including joint patrolling activities along the Malacca straits under the CORPAT series.
Tensions escalated between India and China after differences crept up at Pangong Tso lake, over modalities of withdrawal and claims on the border, during the disengagement process following an ambush attack by Chinese troops on Indian soldiers last month. The strategic Depsang plains has also become a sore point now, where Chinese troops are stopping the Indian army from carrying out patrols to points 10-13, cutting of an over 700 sq km area that was previously patrolled by teams from both sides.
The Backdrop
On 15 June, in a savage attack with few parallels in modern armies, the Chinese troops armed with iron rods and batons fitted with nails, crried out a torturous carnage along the Himalayan border in the east of Ladakh, slaying at least 23 Indian soldiers, including a colonel. Indian and Chinese officials later agreed on ‘early and complete disengagement of troops’ along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) - a process that has become impasse over differences Chinese demands for permanence.
