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The Pakistani Test Of the Israel-India Partnership

The recent controversy over potential Israeli arms sales to Pakistan is unlikely to undermine the Israel-India partnership.
Israeli air force jets fly in formation during an exhibition as part of a pilot graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim air base, southern Israel June 25, 2009. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL MILITARY TRANSPORT) - RTR251A0

On June 11, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz stirred a controversy in the defense community with the assertion that Israel sold military wares to Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. The Haaretz article was based on an export control report prepared by the British Foreign Office that listed the countries who received this equipment.

All countries named by Haaretz denied the allegations and challenged the reliability of the British report. In reality, the deals were nothing new, as Israel had developed discreet relations — including in the military realm — with these countries, and in particular with the Gulf states. But for the diplomats and the media, the most sensitive issue in the leaks was not that Israel sold military components to Arab countries that officially do not recognize its existence (except Egypt) but rather that Israel provided Pakistan with capabilities that could be used in a potential confrontation with India. 

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