This week, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia forged a defence pact that redraws the region's security map, and it was triggered by a stunning miscalculation.

The foreign policy of any country is typically complex and often chaotic. You can develop procedures and institutions like the US, but in the end, where the rubber meets the road, a confluence of genuinely held beliefs and lobbies turns every policy decision into a tug of war. Ergo, messy and chaotic.

Two countries, however, stand out for their persistence and single-minded pursuit of their stated (and often unstated) objectives. Throughout their history, India and Israel have earned street cred for their dogged determination and application of brute force in achieving their piecemeal goals. Four reasons why: One, both countries have used h

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