Jerusalem/Kolkata: Israel has denied having sold military equipment to Pakistan and said it could do nothing to compromise its excellent strategic relations with India. "The State of Israel categorically denies having sold military equipment of any kind to Pakistan," Israel's defence ministry said in a statement released to the media.
"Israel would not do anything that could undermine India's security."
Defence cooperation has been critical to the expansion of ties between India and Israel since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
It said Israel has a strategic relationship with India, the strongest democracy in the world - which, like Israel, "deals with terrorist threats and serves as a major anchor in global international relations".
"The State of Israel does nothing that could compromise its excellent relations with India," it said.
The ministry issued the statement following a report in the Haaretz newspaper on Tuesday which cited official reports from Britain indicating that Israel had sold defence equipment to Pakistan and other countries such as Morocco.
In the statement, the ministry officials said that within the next few days, Israel would ask the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is responsible for issuing export permits in Britain, "for details of the information that was published in the official reports", Israeli media reported Wednesday.
Israeli Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz also denied the reports and said his country has recently adopted a policy not to supply security or weapon systems to Pakistan.
"We are not selling security and weapon systems to Pakistan. It is our policy which we have implemented very recently not to sell weapon system to Pakistan," Ushpiz told reporters on the sidelines of an interaction organised by industry lobby CII in Kolkata.
Defence cooperation has been critical to the expansion of ties between India and Israel since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel has become India's second largest arms supplier after Russia.
While arms sales constitute the largest chunk of Indo-Israeli defence cooperation, other forms of collaboration have taken place. Both countries recognise that terror is a threat, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai attack, and Israel has offered to cooperate in fighting terrorism, including intelligence-sharing, counter-terrorist training, and joint exercises.
Both countries have also exchanged military visits in an effort to expand military-to-military ties. Israel has supplied India with radar systems for airborne early warning and missile defence.
There are no diplomatic relations between Israel and Pakistan. Pakistan has also denied that its military had purchased equipment from Israel.
Aditi Rao Hydari to Vir Das: U/A for 'The Jungle Book' leaves Indian audience amused
Kangana Ranaut lodges complaint against Hrithik Roshan for circulating her photos
Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli spotted together post break-up
Election script goes awry for Vijayakanth as cadre questions his 'captaincy'
Karnataka government bans surge pricing by Uber, Ola in Bengaluru
These 'Sanskari' Hollywood movie posters are just too good!
Modi's rural income promise leaves Indian farmers, experts cold
It's official: Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover announce their wedding date in a joint statement
Photo of the day: Samuel L Jackson clicks selfie with 'the most beautiful' Deepika Padukone
CM Rangaswamy waits for a sign from Heaven, as surveys predict poll defeat
No weightage to Class XII marks in JEE ranking, students need 75% to qualify
Another blogger hacked and shot to death in Bangladesh
DGCA seeks explanation from airlines over fare cancellation charge
Panama Papers: British PM Cameron admits he benefited from father's offshore account