Isreal Shares its Regional Connectivity Plan with India

Israel has shared its flagship connectivity plan that connects the Meditteranean with the gulf even as connectivity has become India’s focus last few years both towards its west and east.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Israel Katz met India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Meditteranean dialogue last week and shared the “Tracks for Regional Peace” initiative. In November, Israel had shared its connectivity project with Oman.

Israel’s FM, during his meet with EAM Jaishankar, called for the “need to increase the trade between the two countries and the measures required to encourage”, according to the readout by Israeli foreign ministry.

The initiative is a rail transport plan that will connect the Meditteranean and the gulf and is based on two central ideas — Israel will be a land bridge and Jordan will be the regional transportation hub.

A regional rail plan will transport people and cargo from the US and Europe to gulf states in the east. The initiative is inspired by the Hejaz railway that ran from Damascus to Medina during the Ottoman times.

Israel has valley rail line, opened in 2016 connects Haifa connects with Beit She’an and will be extended towards the east to Sheikh Hussein crossing in Jordan and the south towards Jalamah crossing so that Palestinians are also able to connect to it.

According to the Israeli govt the initiative will “build peace” and “encourage stability and create vibrant economies” by connecting middle east.

Both Indian and Israeli sides also “discussed the need to intensify bilateral cooperation on the issues of water, agriculture and technology” with FM Katz inviting EAM Jaishankar to Israel, and “the minister expressing interest in visiting Israel next year”.

Source: Wion

Image Courtesy: Wion