Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi said that his country will establish diplomatic relations with Israel but only “after Israel will change its attitude on a number of issues”. In an interview published today by the French daily “Le Monde,” Gandhi said “we consider that they (the Israelis) are too bellicose and that they fail to take into consideration the existing problems.”
Gandhi is due to arrive in France Thursday for a four-day official visit during which he will confer with French President Francois Mitterrand.
In reply to a question, Gandhi said he does not believe that peace can be achieved in the Middle East until “Israel changes its attitude.”
Israel has a consul general in Bombay but no diplomatic representation in New Delhi. The Indians have no diplomatic or consular representative in Israel but Israelis often visit India and the two countries cooperate in a number of non-political fields.
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