What a change in perception of, and attitude towards Israel in India. When I first began the campaign in 1977 it looked hopeless. And today! — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) 1499144075000

Time is running out: India Israel and US must bond pooling the complementarities of manpower, cyber capability, and weapons hardware — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) 1496531247000

US India Israel and China must form a grand alliance to finish terrorism starting with ISIS. — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) 1408767866000

When PM is in Israel, India must formally sign a military mutual assistance treaty. We need each other — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) 1499056343000

NEW DELHI: Until fairly recently, characterising India's diplomatic ties with Israel as 'uneasy' would have been an understatement.So much so, that when India established full diplomatic relations with the Middle Eastern country in 1992 - as compared with merely 'recognising' it - the first Israel visas for Indians were issued from Parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy 's official residence. An Israel flag was even hoisted on top of his house.In 1992, Swamy was with the erstwhile Janata Party, and was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. But his support for full diplomatic ties with Israel began as early as in 1977.In 1992 then, after the Narasimha Rao government announced full diplomatic ties, Israel set up a temporary visa office at Swamy's residence with the Israel consul general in Mumbai flying up to Delhi to officiate, writes Jagdish Shetty, member of the Indo-Israel Friendship Association , on TwitLonger.Israel only had a consulate then, and not in Delhi, but in what was called Bombay.In fact, Swamy recalled last month, that in 1988 five Delhi-based journalists who wanted visas to visit Israel couldn't get them because they didn't have the funds to travel to Bombay.India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru chose to not have full diplomatic ties established between India and Israel because he didn't want to "offend the sentiments" of Arab countries."We would have [recognised Israel] long ago, because Israel is a fact. We refrained because of our desire not to offend the sentiments of our friends in the Arab countries," Nehru said in 1950, when India recognised Israel, according to various accounts of that period.In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution stipulating that Israel be carved out of Palestine. Arabs in the region believed this arrangement to be unfair. India concurred with them.The Indo-Israel Friendship Association's Shetty puts a different spin on Nehru's decision."The Congress government was always under pressure from Arab countries and the INDIAN MUSLIMS not to have full diplomatic relations with Israel. Strange!" he writes. (All emphases are Shetty's.)New Delhi has no such inhibitions anymore and especially since the Modi government assumed office in May 2014. As Swamy said on Twitter today:Swamy has for long been advocating an India-Israel-US alliance.In 2014, Swamy even suggested that the US, India, Israel and China come together to fight the Islamic State.On PM Modi's official Israel visit starting today - the first by an Indian Prime Minister - Swamy advocates that the two countries forge a military alliance.