A state visit ‘with several drawers’ is not a simple protocol sequence. It is a powerful tool: a movement that is intended to be used as a message box, with each statement, image, and pause directed to a distinct audience. It goes beyond strengthening ties with Israel when a leader like Narendra Modi addresses the Knesset during an official visit. It involves planning a demonstration of multi-layered diplomacy that can impact Indian opinion, Washington, Moscow, and the Middle East all at once.

1) The regional drawer: to be ‘present’ without being a prisoner of a camp

First drawer: the region. A visit to Tel Aviv, highly visible, tells the capitals of the Middle East that India is no longer a distant........

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