Musharraf's Newfound Love for Jewry

Submitted by Dan Elias (India), Sep 21, 2005 at 12:59

Musharraf is far more articulate in diplomacy than any of his civilian/military junta predecessors.
While often describing himself at "Pakistan's Attaturk" ,Musharraf has succeded in strking a fine balance between his stated objectives, widely publicized internationally for the consumption of the ever more trusting allies from the cold war days, he has successfully side stepped commitments to curb the "kalashnikov culture" being imparted through the all so common madrassa establishment.While his speech to the American Jewish Congress might be considered a landmark of sorts, it is noteworthy that Musharraf has carefully side-stepped any mention of the Pakistani establishment recognising the State of Israel, or for that matter even providing the oft repeated Arab/Muslim refrain of "conditional recognition"(involving the implementation of UN resolutions 242,338 ad infinitum.) Whereas the above has been advocated time and again by most of the nations within the Arab\Islamic World.


Musharraf's new found love for Jewry can be attributed to two factors :

a) Having survived the potentially devastating consequences of the US led war on terror pretty much unscathed, Musharraf considers that the time now is opportune for exacting the price for his loyalty to the western powers, in the form of political and diplomatic backing in securing concessions from India on Kashmir, which has so far eluded Pakistan, despite its efforts , including a long running proxy-war and three wars, the last of which nearly resulted in a nuclear showdown. With this purpose in mind Musharraf needs all the support he can gather including Israel's friends in Capitol Hill.

b) By sending positive vibes to the Jewry at large, Musharraf wants to project himself as a potential ally for Israel in the South Asian region over long term adversary India, thereby driving a wedge between the now thawed Indo-Israeli bilateral ties, which has been a victim of mis-guided diplomatic manouvres on the part of the current Indian administration, which has sought to appease growing unease among its erst-while Arab/Islamic friends. Notably Israel was the third highest supplier of weaponry to the Indian military, the first two being Russia and the US. A growing relationship between India and Israel would be detrimental to Pakistan's geo-political standing in the loner run, although the near tern implications would be negligible.

Initial indications suggest that Musharraf has succeeded considerably, even to an extend beyond his own wildest expectations, given the positive media response and the consequent debate that it has generated. It seems that the World's Luckiest Dictator just got Luckier still.

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