Gestures in diplomacy reflect how a host country perceives a visiting dignitary and wants to be perceived in return. On this count, Prime Minister NarendraModi’ Israel visit, a first by any Indian premier, was brimming overwith symbolism sending out the message that both the countries are eager to take the diplomatic ties to a higher plane. 
As Modi disembarked on Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurionairport, his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu was present at the tarmac to welcome him, putting all protocols aside, an honour previously accorded to the US President and the Pope. His words – “Aapkaswagathaimere dost.We have been waiting for almost 70 years (for a visit of an Indian Prime Minister)” – reflected a nation’s long cherished yearning.
Another gesture from Netanyahu was of no less import when he said that India-Israel’s friendship was a “marriage made in made in heaven”, despite the fact that he had said the same thing about the Israel-Chinese relations in March this year.On the last day of the Modi’strip to Israel, Netanyahu himself drove him in a jeep to Dor beach in Haifa and later gave him a signed photograph which Modi shared on Twitter.

 All these gestures show how much importance Netanyahu and his country accorded to the Modi’stour.  After landing on the Jewish land,Modi visited a flower farm andIsraelnameda fast growing strain of chrysanthemum as the Modi flower.
Although the seed of this flower was sown by the late Prime Minister P V NarsimhaRao in 1992, it took 25 years to bloom. It was a major shift in India’s West Asia policy when it established full diplomatic relations with the Jewish nation. Itwas termed a pragmatic movefor India to reorient its foreign policyon West Asia after the collapse of the USSR.

This was the moment India,hitherto tilted towards the USSR, gotwarmed up to the US too. It is a fact that geo-political situation and strategic interests actually dictate the foreign policy of any state –principals remain just a veneer for the consumption of public at large.
It may be recalled that the Indo-America relations got a major fillip during the Manmohan Singh regime when it inked a landmark nuclear treaty with the Washington. Today both the US and Israel are key strategic allies of India, foundation of which was laid during the pre-Modi regimes. Bonhomie similar to Israel was also seen during Modi’s visit to the US withPresident Donald Trump calling Modi a true friend. Bear hugs of the leaders of two vibrant democracies had sent out significant messages too. 
There is no denying that Modi’s personal style of diplomacy coupled with right wing politics of the ruling dispensations in the US and Israel had added extra flavours in the relations with India.However, symbolism apart, the real business matters in a long run in relations of two countries. 
Now with Modi’s visit to Jewish nation getting over, it’s time to assess the actual delivery from Israel. Both the countries signed seven treaties in the fields of agriculture, water management, technology and space.
Instead of military and defence ties, it seems, collaborations in agriculture and water management have been designated as strategic partnerships. There was only customary reference to terrorismin the joint statement of both the countries, unlike the Indo-US joint statement which asked Pakistan to make sure its territory was not used for launching of terrorattacks on other countries. The Indo-Israel joint statement did mentionthe cross border terror, but failed to specify any country or terror organization. During his stay in Jerusalem, Modi met Baby Moshe, who had lost his parents in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but there was no expression of intent in the joint statement to bringperpetrators the grotesque act to justice. 
Even cyber security, in which Israel has unparallel global expertise, could not be made a focal point of the bilateral cooperation between both the countries. Israel went about defencerelations as business as usual.A section of Indian intelligentsia was expecting that Israel would deliver unmanned drones to India during the Modi’s visit, which would help India get an edge over Pakistan. After the surgical strike across the border, it was felt that if India had drones, it could have used them to destroy the terrorist camps without risking lives of its soldiers.
Israel has always been a fascination of the RSS which wants India to be like the Jewish state – which adopts a muscular approach while dealing with its adversaries. Notwithstanding the fact that this approach has failed to bring peace in the West Asia and Israel has been engaged in a perpetual fight with Palestinians since its creation, the RSS wishes to simulate the same in India. It was the real reason why Modi de-hyphenated Ramallah from his Israel visit.
However, Tel Aviv made no specific commitment vis a vis Pakistan and terror outfits operating from there. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel hopelesslyfell short on this count.

                                                        (The writer is Executive Editor, Live India TV. The views are his own.)