The new warmth in Indo-Israeli relations will be on display on Tuesday when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon makes a three-day visit to India. Mr Sharon's trip has rankled some Indian political parties, with protests planned against Israel's hardline policy towards the Palestinians.
If India has hitherto kept its blossoming relationship with Israel relatively low-key publicly, there are two reasons. First, guilt. The government knows it is diluting India's traditional support for the Palestinian cause - an article of faith for the foreign policy establishment and intelligentsia for decades.
Second, anxiety. It risks antagonising the country's Muslim minority and friendly Muslim nations in the Middle East.
Some Muslim groups - along with the communist parties - have vowed to demonstrate their displeasure at India's invitation to Mr Sharon, who they brand a 'war criminal'.
It is the first visit by an Israeli prime minister since the two countries established diplomatic ties 11 years ago and marks growing defence ties and shared concerns over Islamic terrorism, particularly since the September 11 attacks.
India's pro-Israeli tilt marks a radical departure from the past policies of virtually every government. During a visit to Washington, National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra went a step further, calling for a 'core' alliance between the US, India and Israel to tackle terrorism.
