Once-sleepy India has visibly changed in the last decade as it begins the process of joining up with the global marketplace. Its economy is opening up, it is a declared nuclear power, its software and biotech industries are booming, and it is increasingly being seen as a safe investment alternative to China. But India's new diplomatic initiatives are also leading to some dramatic shifts in the global balance of power, and a case in point is the evolving relationships, watched over by a mysterious backroom matchmaker, between India and the United States and Israel.

Ties were once strained because of the Cold War: India was close to the Soviet Union; Israel and the U.S. were allies (until 1992, the Jewish state was not even allowed to set up an embassy in India). Washington's enduring coolness toward New Delhi after the collapse of the Soviet Union didn't help. But there were individuals who saw the need for closer relations. Among them was Martin Sherman, a lecturer in political science at Tel Aviv University. . . . In Sherman's eyes, Israel and India had much in common. Both were concerned with Islamic fundamentalism, both were developing high-tech economies, and both were democracies among autocratic states. But in part because of the Cold War past, it was difficult to bring the two countries together, and also warm relations between New Delhi and Washington. Enter the matchmaker: Madhav Das Nalapat. . . . Nalapat saw Jewish-Americans as the perfect ally for Indian-Americans in Washington. "Indians and Jews shared a sense of humour and slightly chaotic minds," he says. "They were born to be close." By 1999, the alliance between the two diasporas had begun to resonate on Capitol Hill.

Read the whole thing for a snapshot of how informal networks can make a difference in international relations.

RELATED: Troop movements.

UPDATE: Today is the anniversary of Saddam's massacre at Halabja. I wonder if any of the vigils planned for this weekend are going to note that?

UPDATE: Something else India and Israel have in common: Their ancient religious/cultural sites being encroached upon by pushy Muslims. Hey, it worked for the Temple Mount, why not go after the Taj Mahal?

UPDATE: Panoramic view of the Beirut anti-Syria protests.