NEW DELHI, 11 September 2003 — Israel and India vowed yesterday to work together more closely as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut short his visit after two bombings in Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem.

“Terror is the enemy of freedom and democracy. Israel and India...will combat this menace,” Sharon told business leaders.

“It is my intent to make every effort to reach an agreement that will bring peace and security in the region...(but) we cannot move forward on the process unless there is a full cessation in hostilities.”

The highly symbolic first visit by an Israeli prime minister has boosted warming ties between the two countries, but triggered concern in Muslim neighbor Pakistan, and among India’s Muslim minority.

India, hit by a string of attacks by Muslim militants in recent years, has said democracies must work together to fight the threat of militant violence.

“There is no compromise possible with terrorism,” Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said. “Terrorism is terrorism, however you spell it, or mis-spell it. There are no extenuating circumstances to explain it.”

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee called on Sharon to help fashion a global response to “terrorism”.

Sharon, who had originally been due to return to Israel on Thursday, left late yesterday as his military retaliated after the bombings which killed 15 people in Israel.

Sharon had originally been due to visit India’s financial capital, Bombay on Thursday, the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States. Fifty-two people died last month in twin car bombings in Bombay.

Muslim groups and some left-wing political parties have organized several peaceful protests condemning India’s ruling Hindu nationalists for moving closer to Israel.

Muslim protesters and socialist activists burnt the Israeli flag and an effigy of Sharon at a rally in Calcutta. Hundreds more held a peaceful protest in Bombay.

Down south in Trivandrum, members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist shouted anti-Israel slogans and burnt an effigy of Sharon.

“We cannot forgive the...government for getting on its knees before Israel, which would like to destroy secularism and brotherhood in India,” Shyamdhar Pandey, a leader of the Samajwadi Party, which has a strong Muslim base, told the Calcutta demonstrators.

The countries are looking to give fresh shape to a relationship increasingly underpinned by close defense ties.

Sharon‚s visit came to a halt without any joint declaration being issued. India retained its differences with Israel on the Palestinian cause and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s position.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Yosef Lapid described the visit as a “real breakthrough in Indo-Israeli relations.

“ But, Lapid said, “unfortunately we had to cut short the visit to India for the very same reason that brought us here - to fight international terrorism.”

Even the much talked about Phalcon deal was not given the final touches during Sharon’s visit.

“There is no obstacle for the Phalcon deal to be concluded as the US has given its approval... this will ensure India can keep its skies in its area under surveillance, “Lapid said.

Finalization of the deal, however, can take a “few weeks or even a few months.”