December 09, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 28, 1428

NEW DELHI, Dec 8: After successfully pressing the Indian government to go slow on the US nuclear deal, the Left Front on Saturday demanded suspension of strategic and military ties with Israel till it accepts a resolution of the Palestine issue.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said his party had a “serious problem” with New Delhi continuing its strategic alliance with Israel.

“We are having a real strategic alliance with Israel. This kind of strategic alliance is not even with the US.” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government “will not move an inch against this alliance”, which was forged in the early 1990s. “This is a serious problem for us,” Mr Karat said at a seminar, “Annapolis: Talks for a Truncated Palestine”.

He said India is “actually becoming an ally of the US now. That is a reality and it is because of the alliance it has with Israel.

“We demand the stopping of at least security and military collaboration with Israel till it comes to the negotiating table and arrive at a reasonable settlement with Palestine,” Mr Karat said.

He said the Left parties were “isolated” on the matter as both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP were on the same side.