Israel backs idea of pre-emptive strike on Pakistan

NEW DELHI—Israel has backed a “sinister” idea presented by India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of a pre-emptive strike to dismantle alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan.
BJP President Rajnath Singh, who held a meeting with Israeli ambassador to India David Danieli at the party office here on Saturday, credited Israel with showing respect to the sentiments of the international community by “not targeting areas beyond Hezbollah influence and subsequently withdrawing troops” in the Lebanon conflict, according to Indian news agency Press Trust of India.
The BJP chief asked India to launch pre-emptive strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan after taking the international community into confidence.
Our monitoring desk adds: Israeli envoy “appreciated” Rajnath Singh’s idea to let India take a proactive role in dismantling terror camps in Pakistan and Bangladesh after taking the international community into confidence, the party said on Saturday, reports The Asian Age.
David Danieli said it is Israel’s right to defend itself against any terrorist attack.
The BJP chief described the Israeli action on the Shia group Hezbollah as a move aimed at “self-defence”, a party release said.
“He (Singh) had also suggested in the past that it was necessary for India to have a proactive role in dismantling the terrorist camps in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but only after taking the international community into confidence.”
“The Israeli ambassador said his government appreciated the ideas of the BJP president,” it added.
Danieli’s meeting with Rajnath Singh came ahead of the expected visit of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in December.
The ambassador used the occasion to explain to the BJP president the position Israel had taken in its conflict with the Hezbollah, the party said.
“He (Danieli) said it was the right of Israel to protect itself against any possible terrorist activity, but their government maintained a high level of restraint while targeting Hezbollah hideouts in Lebanon,” the BJP statement said.
The BJP chief said that Israel was having some advance technologies in the field of agriculture development which could be useful for states like Rajasthan and Gujarat as they suffered from water scarcity.
Also, he separately met Pakistan’s National Assembly member Gyanchand Singh and NWFP Assembly member Gursharan Lal. Both Pakistani leaders discussed with Rajnath Singh “the prevailing political situation” in their country and exchanged views for better cooperation on political and parliamentary level in the future, the BJP release said. —Online