Retired Judge Calls India's Pro‑Israel Turn a Regrettable Reversal

Retired Madras High Court judge Hari Paranthaman said India's recent tilt toward Israel marks a regrettable reversal of its early non‑recognition. He noted that when Israel was created in the late 1940s only India, Iran and Yugoslavia, besides the Arab states, refused to recognise it. In the years since, New Delhi has moved to openly back Israel. The comment was made at a book launch on Saturday evening at Chennai's Anna Centenary Library. The event unveiled Amerikka‑Israel Aneethiyum Makkal Samuga Kadamaiyum, a collection of articles on US‑Iran tensions and the Israel‑Lebanon war, edited by C.S. Rex Sargunam and issued by Chinthan Books. Former Theekkathir editor V. Meenakshisundaram released the volume, while 'Sigaram' Senthilnathan, state vice‑president of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, accepted it. Justice Paranthaman presided over the ceremony and highlighted India's shift from non‑recognition to active support. Dr. Rex Sargunam, speaking at the close, urged people to unite in backing Palestine. The launch also featured other writers and commentators, though their remarks were not detailed in the report. ## Context India was one of the few countries that did not acknowledge Israel at its birth, a stance that reflected its early foreign‑policy principles. The later alignment with Israel reflects broader strategic and diplomatic changes in New Delhi's Middle‑East approach.