The American Jewish Committee, an influential US advocacy group, has lauded the BJP-led NDA on its grand victory and has expressed its keenness to work with the incoming Narendra Modi Government to bolster India’s relations with both the United States and Israel.
Known for its extensive reach in Washington’s corridors of power, notably the US Congress, the AJC has engaged successive Indian Governments on matters of common interest and concern.
Calling the BJP a long-time friend of Israel and the Jewish people, AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute (API) director Shira loewenberg said in a statement: “We look forward to working with Mr Modi and the new Government to further strengthen and deepen India’s extensive relations with the United States and Israel.”
A delegation of the New York-based group, headed by AJC president Stanley Bergman, had visited New Delhi in March, when it met with both Government officials and BJP functionaries. A team had earlier met with Modi in 2012.
Meanwhile, leading South Asia expert lisa Curtis has expressed the view that the formation of a BJP-led Government offers Washington “an opportunity to reinvigorate US-India ties and end the malaise that has taken over the relationship in the last couple of years”.
“To take advantage of the opportunity to reboot ties with India, the Obama administration must send a clear signal that it is ready to do business with Modi and that it will not give him the cold shoulder over the issue of the 2002 Gujarat riots,” said Curtis of The Heritage Foundation in a commentary, released just ahead of President Obama’s telephone conversation with Modi during which he invited him to visit Washington.
While the Manmohan Singh Government “had been weakened by a series of corruption scandals and showed little initiative with regard to building ties with the US during its second-term”, Curtis expected the Modi Government to pursue “a more robust foreign policy….which could reap dividends for the US-India relationship”.
“The election of a BJP Government is, on balance, very good news for Washington,” Curtis noted, adding: “If the US demonstrates its willingness to establish close ties with the new Government, it is likely the BJP will reciprocate and the two sides can refocus on achieving the vision of a durable and strategic partnership.”