India can join hands with other friendly countries to play a larger role in establishing a genuine peace process in the Middle East. This was the opinion expressed at a special lecture on ‘Middle East Peace Process-Israel’s Security’ in Delhi organised by the India Foundation on Tuesday.

While former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha delivered the keynote address on the occasion, Professor Efraim Inbar presented the Israeli perspective on the Middle East crisis. The discussion was moderated by India Foundation director and Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer, Dr Chandan Mitra, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP.

Asking for New Delhi to play a proactive role, Sinha expected India to engage with other friendly countries to find a lasting solution to the  Middle East problem.

“Without depending on the Western world, the developing counties can “negotiate “to resolve the crisis,” Sinha said.

Mitra agreed that a “grim scenario” prevailed in the Middle East and said that India can indeed play an important role in building the peace process.

Efraim Inbar, who specialises in Middle Eastern strategic issues and politics and strategies of Israel’s national security, talked about the security ramification of the Arab Spring for Israel and said the so-called revolution can turn into an “Islamic Winter”, of further radicalization of Islam. Foreseeing little hope of improvement in the deplorable state of affairs, Inbar said:  “Power difference between our neighbours is growing, but we see emergence of a new elites-Radical Islamist.”

Noting that the “new elites” are not experienced in dealing with delicate foreign or defence affairs, Inbar said, “They may be less cautious and put the region into trouble.”

He also noted the growing perception that the US had let its Arab allies down while doing nothing to support popular uprisings against hostile regimes.

He pointed to the weakening of the Arab States due to their failure to modernise, which in his view, could lead to civil war and their slide into the category of  failed states.

Maintaining that one of Israel’s main security problems is Iran’s dogged quest for nuclear weapons, Inbar said, “The real challenge for us is Iran’s quest for the nuclear weapons.” “Nuclear Iran will change Middle East and can affect India,” as it will be closer to allies like Russia or China, he said, adding that it will lead to nuclear proliferation in Middle East.

“It’s a frightening scenario if Iran goes nuclear, politically and officially,” Mitra said.