[🇮🇳] Relationship Between India & Israel

[Saif]

Date of Event: Feb 25, 2026

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/international/wi7v5uzy8h

India and Israel: trade, defence and diplomacy

AFP
New Delhi
Published: 24 Feb 2026, 13: 10

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu AFP file photo

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel on Wednesday aiming to deepen ties with a key trade and defence partner, while balancing his government's broader diplomatic interests in the Middle East.

New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the defence, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity sectors.

One of India's largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates the Mediterranean port of Haifa, while Israeli military drone technology played a pivotal role during India's May 2025 clash with Pakistan.

At the same time, India maintains strong relations with Gulf nations and Tehran, including developing Iran's Chabahar port -- a trade gateway to Afghanistan, where New Delhi has built a relationship with Taliban authorities.


Here's a closer look at India-Israel ties.

- Trade -

In September 2023, grand plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor -- to link railways, ports, electricity, data networks and pipelines, including through Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Those plans were stalled by Hamas's 7 October deadly attack on Israel, which responded with a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

Trade remains central to the diplomatic relationship with Israel, providing access to products from its advanced tech sector, while India offers a vast consumer market.

Key sectors include agriculture technology, food security, water management, diamonds, dairy, fisheries, and manufacturing.

Bilateral trade reached $3.75 billion in 2024-25, according to Indian figures, though this is understood to exclude arms sales.

Thousands of Indians work in Israel, including those who came to replace the jobs of Palestinian construction workers barred from entering since the 7 October attack and outbreak of war in 2023.

- Defence -

Israel is one of India's top arms suppliers, dating back to its military support during the 1962 war with China and subsequent conflicts with Pakistan in 1971 and 1999.

Between 2020-24, Israel provided 13 per cent of India's military hardware, making it New Delhi's third-largest supplier after Russia and France, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

India and Israel have launched multi-billion-dollar joint ventures to produce drones, missile systems, radar, cybersecurity technology, naval vessels and firearms.

- Diplomacy -

Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Ties deepened after Hindu-nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014.

Modi visited Israel in 2017, and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to India the following year.

Both right-wing leaders have called each other a "friend".

US president Donald Trump invited India to become a member of the "Board of Peace" that he established after helping negotiate a ceasefire to halt two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

New Delhi sent a representative to the board's inauguration this month, but said its attendance was only in an "observer" capacity.

India in January hosted foreign ministers from Arab League nations, which have heavily criticised the war in Gaza. Modi told them he offered "continued support for the people of Palestine" and "welcomed ongoing peace efforts".

A free trade agreement with Oman last year reflects India's push for broader Middle East market access.

- Ancient roots -

Jewish links to India span millennia with India's Arabian Sea port of Kochi -- a key post in the ancient Greco-Roman trade network -- home to a Jewish community for centuries.

"Civilisational relations between the countries date back more than two millennia," India's foreign ministry says.

The Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, India's oldest, was built in 1568 -- though barely any Jews remain in the city today.

Many emigrated to Israel after 1948, and more than 100,000 Jews of Indian origin live in Israel today, Tueday according to New Delhi.

In India's northeast Manipur state, thousands from the Bnei Menashe community claim descent from one of the "lost tribes" of Israel.

Some members of the community have moved to Israel and the Israeli government has said it is preparing to resettle thousands more in the next few years.​

 

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Modi’s visit to Israel: Standing on the wrong side of history

Framed as a leap towards strategic partnership, the trip reflects India’s deepening ties with a state accused of genocide

www.thedailystar.net

Modi’s visit to Israel: Standing on the wrong side of history

Framed as a leap towards strategic partnership, the trip reflects India’s deepening ties with a state accused of genocide

Jannatul Naym Pieal

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a welcome ceremony upon Modi's arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel February 25, 2026. Photo: Reuters/Shir Torem

Narendra Modi is on a two-day state visit to Israel, his first since 2017, when he became the first Indian prime minister ever to step on Israeli soil.

Framed as a leap towards a special strategic partnership, the trip nonetheless raises difficult questions about what it signals -- and what it leaves unsaid -- amid the continuing devastation in Gaza by Israel. And so, if the significance of this bilateral visit is measured not just by its tangible gains but also by its moral weight, it falters badly.

Because the urgent calls for justice and dignity from Palestinians receive little to no attention in the official agenda of this visit. Far from advocating for peace in Gaza, it solidifies India’s alignment with a state accused internationally of using overwhelming force and enforcing apartheid policies. It can thus be read as a political endorsement of Israel’s leadership at a moment when it faces serious accusations of war crimes and genocide, even from international legal and human rights circles.

India maintains that it supports a two-state solution, but those words ring hollow alongside India’s deepening defence, intelligence and technological cooperation with Israel -- cooperation that materially strengthens the very mechanisms used to enforce occupation and restrict Palestinian freedom.

India’s defence imports from Israel now include drones, missile systems, surveillance platforms and radar technologies -- not abstract innovations, but tools deployed daily in ways Palestinians experience as instruments of control.

This partnership is being elevated precisely as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues.

India and Israel have begun structured talks for a free trade agreement, are advancing joint research and defence-technology development, and are negotiating collaborations in AI and other high-tech sectors that have dual uses in civilian life and security infrastructure.

Such initiatives may enhance strategic depth for India, but they also deepen its complicity in systems that sustain occupation.

Even the critics inside India have not stayed silent.

Jairam Ramesh, communications chief of the opposition Indian National Congress, called Modi’s trip “moral cowardice”, arguing that embracing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, someone who “has reduced Gaza to rubble and dust” and “orchestrates the expansion of illegal settlements,” amounts to abandoning India’s historic support for Palestinian rights.

Ramesh noted that India once stood with Palestine during earlier conflicts and said the government’s current statements about peace are inconsistent with its actions.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary, also urged Modi to use his address in Israel’s Parliament to mention the genocide in Gaza and to demand justice for innocent victims.

In a post on X, she wrote: “I hope that the Hon Prime Minister mentions the genocide of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza while addressing the Knesset on his upcoming trip to Israel and demands justice for them. India has stood for what is right throughout our history as an independent nation, we must continue to show the light of truth, peace and justice to the world.”

MA Baby, leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) criticised Modi’s trip sharply, saying the visit “will be an indelible blot on our nation’s soul” and accusing the prime minister of betraying India’s anti‑colonial legacy and long‑standing support for Palestinian self‑determination.

This debate goes beyond party politics.

A parliamentary panel led by Shashi Tharoor, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, warned that the timing and symbolism of the visit, especially amid rising tensions with Iran, could affect India’s global image and that foreign policy messaging matters even in complex security situations.

These political criticisms resonate with historical context.

India was among the first non-Arab countries to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988 and long maintained a principled position in support of its sovereignty.

Today, however, its stance has shifted toward closer ties with Israel, while non-Arab and non-Muslim countries like Sweden and Ireland continue to consistently support Palestinian rights.

This deepening partnership with Israel – spanning defence, intelligence, and technology cooperation – signals a prioritisation of strategic and economic interests over consistent moral advocacy.

The geopolitical backdrop amplifies these concerns. West Asia remains volatile, with tensions between the United States and Iran simmering, and Israel positioning itself as a key US ally.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has openly discussed forming a “hexagon of alliances” with countries including India, Greece, Cyprus and some Arab states to counter perceived threats in the Middle East, signalling that the relationship is as much about geopolitical alignment as it is about bilateral cooperation.

In this context, Modi’s visit strengthens Israel’s international position at a moment when many Western and Global South countries are wary of being seen as too close to Jerusalem amid its military campaign in Gaza.

For Israel, Modi’s presence -- including his address to the Knesset -- carries political weight at home, where domestic debates over judicial independence and Netanyahu’s leadership continue to dominate.

That a prominent leader from a major democracy would visit at this moment lends diplomatic cover to a government facing both domestic and international criticism.

India’s strategy is often framed in terms of “strategic autonomy” -- balancing relationships with Israel, Arab states and Iran -- but the material cooperation with Israel complicates India’s ability to serve as an honest broker for peace.

In recent United Nations votes, India’s positions have oscillated, sometimes abstaining on resolutions critical of Israel while joining others that condemned settlement expansions after many other countries had already articulated opposition, drawing domestic criticism for inconsistency.

Defence cooperation is central to this relationship. Both governments have reiterated their commitment to counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and joint assessments of emerging security challenges.

While there can indeed be some level of concern in India about terrorism threats, linking counter-terrorism so closely with advanced military cooperation obscures how these capabilities are used in contexts of occupation, border control and civilian restriction rather than exclusively against combatant threats.

Ultimately, this visit raises a fundamental question about the moral compass of foreign policy: Can strategic interests and technology cooperation justify overlooking profound human suffering?

By materially supporting Israel during an ongoing conflict and strengthening ties with its military and intelligence apparatus, India prioritises defence and influence over justice and human dignity.​

 

[Saif]

Modi says India stands 'firmly' with Israel during visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in Jerusalem on Wednesday that India stands "firmly" with Israel following Hamas's attack on 7 October, 2023. Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a two-day visit aimed at deepening trade and defence ties that has drawn...

en.prothomalo.com

Modi says India stands 'firmly' with Israel during visit

AFP
Jerusalem
Published: 26 Feb 2026, 12: 35

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on 25 February, 2026. Modi arrived in Israel on 25 February for a two-day visit aimed at deepening ties with a key trade and defence partner, a trip that has drawn criticism at home. AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in Jerusalem on Wednesday that India stands "firmly" with Israel following Hamas's attack on 7 October, 2023.

Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a two-day visit aimed at deepening trade and defence ties that has drawn criticism at home.

"I... carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on 7 October," Modi said in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

"We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond."

In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.

But he said that India "supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability".

Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country's economic growth and Israel's leadership in technological innovation formed a "natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership".

"I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence," he added.

Netanyahu told Modi that "India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a defensive wall against barbarism", adding that his visit will allow them to "further reinforce our ties".

It is Modi's second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014.

'A real friendship'

Earlier on Wednesday, a red carpet was rolled out at Israel's Ben Gurion airport and Modi was greeted with a hug by Netanyahu as he disembarked the plane.

"The two leaders share a special and a personal relationship," Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Netanyahu's office, said in a video posted on X.

"The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance as we are partners in innovation, security and a shared strategic vision," she added.

Netanyahu's office said the two right-wing leaders held a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony, with the Israeli premier hailing "a real friendship".

In a post on X, Modi described the meeting as "excellent".

"We discussed a wide range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between our two countries," he said.

The pair "held an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region", he added.

Modi is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the visit.

New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the defence, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity sectors, while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East.

Talks opened in New Delhi on Monday for an India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), India's government said in a statement, noting that merchandise trade reached USD 3.62 billion in 2024-2025.

Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Ties deepened after Hindu-nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014.

Criticism at home

Modi first visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu made a reciprocal visit to India the following year.

In 2023, grand plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor -- to link railways, ports, electricity, data networks and pipelines, including through Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Those plans were stalled by Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which responded with a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

Months after his 2017 visit to Israel, Modi travelled to Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority.

His current visit has sparked criticism at home.

Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi -- sister of opposition leader Rahul -- posted on social media on Wednesday that she hoped Modi would mention the killing of "thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza" during his address to the Israeli parliament.

India, the world's most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, is majority Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim.

One of India's largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates the Israeli port of Haifa, while Israeli military drone technology played a pivotal role during India's May 2025 clash with Pakistan.​