&w=3840&q=100)
Hostile Homelands: Azad Essa's book traces India-Israel ties before BJP era
Listen to This Article
Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance between India and Israel
Published by Westland Books
274 pages ₹599
India's support for the Palestinian cause has grown so feeble in the last decade that soon it might be hard to remember that India was the first non-Arab state to recognise the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). Though the shift in India's foreign policy is often seen only through an ideological lens, the real picture is more complex. South African journalist Azad Essa talks economics in his book, Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance between India and Israel.
The author, who is based in New
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Kerala University Registrar 'defies' V-C's direction on use of official vehicle
Kerala University Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar has defied Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal's explicit instructions not to use the official vehicle. In his order, the Vice-Chancellor had barred Dr. Kumar from using official resources, including the university's vehicle. He also instructed Director (Planning and Development) Mini Dejo Kappen, who has been given the additional charge of Registrar, to take custody of the car keys and to ensure that the vehicle remains in the university garage. However, Dr. Kumar arrived at the university headquarters in the same car on Wednesday, claiming that he had no personal vehicle and that the university car was the only one available to him. The security officer has reportedly submitted a report to the Vice-Chancellor, stating that the Registrar has maintained that this suspension was overturned by the university Syndicate and that he is entitled to use the official car by way of his position as the Registrar. Meanwhile, BJP-backed Syndicate members accused Left-aligned Syndicate members and various organisations of preventing the Vice-Chancellor's entry to the university campus. Syndicate member P.S. Gopakumar said this was not just an administrative issue, but a serious one involving intimidation. Online meeting Despite the chaos, the Vice-Chancellor chaired an online meeting of the Centre for Global Academics (CGA), which oversees international student affairs at the university. The meeting reportedly decided to grant admission to 93 foreign students across various affiliated colleges. As many as 2,620 candidates had applied for various programmes this year. The selected students, mostly from Arab countries, Africa and Sri Lanka, will be admitted to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including BA, BCom and MA. While the meeting was held in Dr. Kumar's absence, Dr. Kappen and CGA Director Sabu Joseph participated in the meeting.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Israel bombs Syria to defend Druze, who are they and why do they matter
The Israeli army struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) and targeted the same site several hours later with a larger strike. The strikes from Israel come as it vows to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demands they withdraw. Israel has also launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has beefed up forces on the border. According to Reuters, warplanes swoop low over the capital and unleash a series of massive strikes on central Damascus. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Management MCA others Healthcare Technology Others Product Management Data Science MBA Leadership Cybersecurity Project Management Data Analytics Public Policy Design Thinking Operations Management Finance CXO Digital Marketing PGDM Data Science Artificial Intelligence healthcare Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta CERT-IIMC APSPM India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK General Management Programme India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK GMPBE India Starts on undefined Get Details Syria's Defense Ministry had earlier blamed militias in the Druze-majority area of Sweida for violating a ceasefire agreement that had been reached Tuesday, causing Syrian army soldiers to return fire. It said they were 'adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes.' Meanwhile, reports of attacks on civilians continued to surface, and Druze with family members in the conflict zone searched desperately for information about their fate amid communication blackouts. Who are the Druze Live Events The Druze are an Arab religious group of around one million people, mainly living in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. In southern Syria's Suwayda province, where they are the majority, the Druze were sometimes stuck between Assad's forces and extremist groups during the 10-year civil war. Their group originated in the 11th century. It practices an offshoot of Islam, allowing no converts either to or from the religion and no intermarriage. According to CNN, the Druze community is concentrated in three main provinces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in the south of the country. More than 20,000 Druze live in the Golan Heights. It is a strategic plateau seized by Israel from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967. It was later annexed in 1981. The territory is shared by Druze with around 25,000 Jewish settlers, spread across more than 30 settlements. Most Druze living in the Golan see themselves as Syrian and turned down Israeli citizenship when Israel took over the area. Those who said no were given Israeli residency cards but aren't counted as citizens. Why are Syrian forces clashing with the Druze One major reason that triggered the tension between Syria's new government and the Druze is the push to disarm Druze militias and bring them into the national army. After ousting Bashar al-Assad, Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, pledged inclusion and vowed to protect all of Syria's diverse communities. He wants to unite all armed groups under one military, but the Druze have strongly refused, insisting on keeping their own weapons and independent forces. Why is Israel protecting Druze The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) that Israel is 'committed to preventing harm to the Druze due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria,' CNN reported. Around 130,000 Israeli Druze live in the Carmel and Galilee regions in northern Israel. Unlike other minority groups in the country, Druze men have been drafted into the Israeli military since 1957, with many reaching senior ranks and building careers in the police and security services.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Bullying non-Marathi speakers is wrong': Ramdas Athawale warns of action in Maharashtra; calls Uddhav, Raj Thackeray's stand ‘against Balasaheb's vision'
Minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said that the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government will not tolerate incidents of "bullying" non-Marathi speakers in the state. 'Those who indulge in such bullying will be taught a lesson,' Athawale said at a press conference, adding that the approach of leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on the issue is 'against Balasaheb Thackeray's vision.' 'I said that this is wrong. Knowing Marathi is fine. Telling them to learn Marathi is okay, but bullying them, slapping them, that is not right. Action has been taken by the police against those involved in such illegal actions, and our government will not allow such bullying,' Athawale stated. Criticising what he called 'wrong politics' in the name of Marathi, Athawale pointed out that Mumbai is the financial capital of India and home to people from across the country. 'It is not about opposing Hindi. There was a concern that teaching Hindi from first grade is not right. Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena so that Marathi people could get justice. However, what Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are doing is against Balasaheb Thackeray's vision. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo We also love Marathi. Bullying can be answered with bullying. In Maharashtra, there is Devendra Fadnavis's government and those who do such bullying will be taught a lesson,' he said. T he minister also underlined the contribution of non-Marathi people to Mumbai's growth. 'Major industrialists like Tata, Birla, Ambani and Adani have played a big role,' he said, adding that such incidents damage Mumbai's status. 'Around 60 per cent of people in Mumbai are non-Marathi. Of these, 80 per cent speak Marathi, but 20 per cent don't. Hindi is our national language. Our government will not allow such bullying,' Athawale asserted. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Republican Party of India (A) chief said, 'It is my party's view that Modi should remain the prime minister till 2029. What RSS says about retiring at 75, I don't know. But under Modi's leadership, the government has come back... we need Modi as PM till 2029.' On the controversy over revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Athawale said, 'There is a suspicion that Bangladeshi people may be living in Bihar with changed names. We should find out where they were born. If they were born in Bihar, there is no problem. But if they were born in Bangladesh and haven't taken citizenship, they should be removed from the voters' list.' On opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Athawale said, 'Congress leader Rahul Gandhi can have his views. Anyone has the right to come to power in a democracy. The BJP was also once in opposition and came to power.'
