Rarely in recent years has West Asia occupied so much space in India’s foreign-policy conversation. Attention, however, has not always produced understanding. By breakfast, newspaper columns have sorted the heroes and villains. By prime time, TV hosts have turned the crisis into loyalty tests.

For India, West Asia is not a straight line. It is a Rubik’s Cube. Every move shifts another face. There is no single West Asia for New Delhi to align with. Israel, the Gulf and Iran are three principal faces of the same puzzle. A posture that protects defence ties with Israel may complicate Gulf sensitivities. A channel that preserves access to Iran may unsettle partners elsewhere.

The first is a security and technology-oriented West Asia. Here, Israel matters. The relationship is embedded in defence procurement, intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism capabilities. In a crisis, these are operational assets. Any serious Indian policy must account for this layer, however uncomfortable that may be for those who prefer a purely moral frame.

The second is an economic and human West Asia, the Gulf. For India, it means remittances,........

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