Iran and proxies responsible for IMEEC delay, says Israeli minister – Times of India

Amid concerns in India and elsewhere about the future of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic CorridorIsrael’s visiting Minister of Economy and senior leader of the ruling Likud party, Nir Barkataddressed Iran and its “jihadist allies” for working to destroy businesses in the West Asian region and said Israel will not stop in Gaza until it achieves its twin goals: the release of hostages and the end of the war. Hamas. Barkat spoke to TOI’s Sachin Parashar about the situation in West Asia and related issues. Fragments:

How confident are you that the ceasefire with Lebanon will hold, given that both sides are already accusing each other of violating it?
Hezbollah unfortunately joined the war, firing 25,000 rockets into Israel since October 8 last year. This was unacceptable to Israel. It became important to dismantle their terrorist infrastructure. We will respond with great force if they violate the ceasefire. I think this is also an opportunity for the Lebanese people to free themselves from Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy. Beirut could become the Paris of the Middle East. Unfortunately, the Lebanese people have so far failed to realize that vision.
The US and others are also working towards a ceasefire in Gaza. Can we hope for a similar ceasefire in Gaza? Can India play a role in facilitating peace?
Lebanon is different from Gaza. The aim of the Israeli side’s war in Lebanon was to eliminate the Hezbollah threat and allow the 60,000 expelled Israeli citizens (from northern Israel) to return home. We are in the process of doing that. In Gaza there are two main objectives of the war. The first is to ensure that Hamas survives neither militarily nor in civilian form. The second is to get the hostages back. We must achieve the objectives of the war. There is still work to be done. If and when it is possible to make a deal to get the hostages back, I am sure the Israeli government will consider it. India is a great partner for Israel. Let’s do more business. Let’s improve the economy and create more win-win deals. On the political issues, we are very well aligned and on the economic side we still have some work to do. We are very optimistic that we can move the relationship between governments and people forward.
What about the delay in work on IMEEC, which was seen even by Israel as an initiative that could change the face of the Middle East?
The war may have delayed this, but the goal of Iran and its jihadist allies was to destroy Israel and disrupt businesses in the region and all of West Asia. Our goal is exactly the opposite. We want to work together. Iran tried to derail the peace process and developing relationship with Saudi Arabia. We would like to see Saudi Arabia join this Abraham chords and extend peace. Our goal is exactly India’s goal. To create more partnerships and achieve collaboration. People trying to delay this are Iran’s jihadist alliance and its allies.
Are you willing to restart talks with Saudi Arabia for normalization of relations?
Most definitely, yes. I think it is very clear that this is in the best interests of both countries. We hear it again and again. Our friends in the US say so. Even here our friends talk about it. We must end the war and at the same time develop relations with modern Arab states. It’s a classic win-win situation for West Asia.
Is the US indictment against Adani, whose company works on the port of Haifa, a concern for Israel?
This is no problem for us. We welcome Adani and other players to invest in Israel.
What does Trump’s return mean for West Asia?
It will be meaningful. Trump is aligning his economic power with his geopolitical strategy. I think that distinction is very clear and that is how the Israeli government sees it. We must align our interests with Iran, the biggest destabilizer in West Asia, and expand relations with friends like India. I think it’s very smart and sensible if you can align economic issues, like tariffs and other things he’s trying to do, with geopolitical challenges. It will be good for countries like India and Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was expected to visit India before October 7 last year. Is the visit still planned?
My recommendation to him would be that this would be one of the first significant trips he would undertake. India is a good friend of Israel. The fact that Modi supported Israel on October 7 is very meaningful to us. It will be a good opportunity to thank Modi and the people of India for their support. We don’t take it for granted.