Brothers-in-arms: How Modi and Netanyahu are bringing India and Israel nearer collectively

[ad_1] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent the previous two days in Tel Aviv assembly Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu and his spouse, Sara. In keeping with Israel’s prime ministerial web site, the journey strengthened political, strategic and even private ties between the 2 leaders and their governments.

The go to got here with a fair proportion of pomp and present. Modi provided emphatic assist for Israel after the "barbaric" October 7 assaults, omitting any point out of Palestinians. He and Netanyahu continuously embraced, with the Israeli chief describing the particular "Modi hug" because the "actual factor". At a personal dinner, Netanyahu wearing conventional Indian apparel and posed for a photograph with a beaming Modi, who later obtained an award known as the “Knesset Medal”, described as “the very best honour the Knesset can bestow”.

Modi was the inaugural winner of the Knesset Medal, references to which – very similar to the FIFA "Peace Award" given to Donald Trump – don't seem previous to this occasion in Israeli regulation or Knesset historical past. Throughout his go to, Modi additionally wholeheartedly supported US President Donald Trump’s controversial Gaza peace plan, saying it "holds the promise of a simply and sturdy peace for all of the individuals within the area, together with by addressing the Palestine concern".

Modi praised the function of Indian Jews in Israel – “in laboratories, hospitals and lecture rooms, and likewise on the battlefield” – and famous the unfold of yoga's recognition to “nearly each neighbourhood”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his spouse Sara escort Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welcoming ceremony exterior the Knesset, the Parliament, in Jerusalem on February 25, 2026. © Debbie Hill, AFP The timing of the go to was notable. It got here months earlier than contentious Israeli elections and as Netanyahu’s worldwide standing has deteriorated amid allegations of struggle crimes, UN accusations of genocide and an ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Neither chief addressed the broader humanitarian and authorized controversies surrounding Israel’s ruthless assaults in Gaza, which have continued regardless of a Trump-brokered ceasefire.

Learn extra Gazans face unimaginable wait at Rafah crossing to Egypt

India has lengthy tried to play impartial with Israel and Palestine, remaining largely silent in regards to the roughly 75,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, in keeping with an unbiased estimate by the Lancet, most of them ladies and youngsters. The chummy assembly additionally occurred because the Center East stays risky – the specter of US‑Israeli strikes on Iran persists, Israel continues to hit Gaza and steps to annex the occupied West Financial institution have begun.

Modi’s go to crystallises a decisive tilt towards Israel, pushed by ideological sympathy, a surge in defence purchases and deeper technological hyperlinks.

A partnership of comfort Within the Knesset, Modi spoke of bilateral commerce at giant, saying that Delhi is "dedicated to increasing commerce, strengthening funding flows and selling joint infrastructure improvement". Most of that increasing commerce can be within the area of defence.

Earlier than Modi’s journey to Israel, Indian shops started reporting on a historic multiyear $10 billion defence deal between the 2 nations, which, in keeping with stories, is anticipated to give attention to air-defence techniques.

It’s a logical subsequent step for the 2 army allies. India bought roughly a 3rd of Israel’s weapons exports – about $20.5 billion between 2020 and 2024, in keeping with the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI), making New Delhi its single largest buyer and serving to maintain Israel’s arms growth at the same time as elements of Europe imposed restrictions over actions in Gaza.

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© France 24 The beneficial properties for India are instant. Missile‑defence techniques, surveillance and battlefield applied sciences and partnerships on AI and quantum computing are reportedly a part of the deal.

Bobby Ghosh, a columnist specialising within the Center East, mentioned that defence offers equivalent to this are a win-win for India and Israel.

"The Modi authorities sees Israel as a companion on safety points, and Israel has an excellent deal to supply a authorities that's fascinated about espionage whether or not that's spying by itself individuals by way of instruments like Pegasus, or keeping track of hostile neighbours like China and Pakistan."

India used Israel’s Pegasus software program to illegally spy by itself residents, together with dissenting lawmakers, journalists and activists.

Ideological allies India's historic relationship with the Palestinians was as soon as marked by solidarity rooted in shared anti-colonial struggles that advanced into constant diplomatic assist. India opposed the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine, advocating a unified federal state as a substitute – influenced by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who noticed parallels with India's personal independence struggle. India voted in opposition to Israel's UN admission in 1949 and maintained this pro-Palestinian stance all through the Nineteen Sixties, even because it quietly accepted Israeli assist through the 1962 Sino-Indian Conflict.

However that rhetoric has nearly completely flipped. Assist for Palestine has morphed into sturdy alignment with Israel below Modi, pushed by army, financial ties and shared anti-Islamic, right-wing Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) and Zionist ideologies.

In keeping with Ghosh, the Hindutva motion that Modi leads is carefully aligned to Israel.

"[Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir converse the best way that many Hindu nationalist leaders converse," he mentioned, referring to 2 far-right Israeli politicians. "In case you change the protagonists, and put those self same phrases into the mouths of among the firebrand, right-wing figures in India, they're indistinguishable from one another."

Modi was one of many first world leaders to achieve out to Netanyahu after the October 7, 2023, assault, providing to offer any assist that Israel wanted. The 2 prime ministers spoke a number of occasions within the subsequent few months, with Modi reiterating that the “individuals of India firmly stand with Israel”. Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) have been among the staunchest backers of Israel on social media, drawing on a shared Islamophobia.

“I do not assume that India is any longer a severe supporter of the Palestinian trigger," Ghosh says. "Amongst older Indian politicians, chances are you'll hear some traces of some vestiges of the outdated Indian international coverage line, which was pro-Palestine, however that voice is fading."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) speaks together with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on February 26, 2026. © Ilia Yefimovich, AFP When X briefly made customers’ nations of origin public, a number of distinguished pro-Israel accounts have been discovered to be run from India. It was an unlucky testomony to the success of Hindutva forces in cultivating Islamophobia by presenting Palestine as supposedly anti-Hindu.

India’s enthusiastic assist for a few of Israel’s most hardline and divisive right-wing politicians illustrates that shared ideology. In 2025, India welcomed extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was banned from a number of EU nations for his inflammatory statements in opposition to Palestinians and his work increasing unlawful settlements.

Throughout his go to, Smotrich emphasised the nations' widespread woes.

“Each India and Israel expertise the hypocrisy of the worldwide neighborhood – nations that choose us, and nations that try to stop us from responding to those threats of terrorism,” he mentioned.

India's financial attraction For the final 12 months, India has aggressively pursued free-trade agreements with a bunch of nations and blocs together with the EU, US, UK, Oman, New Zealand and now, if all goes in keeping with plan, with Israel.

Throughout his speech on the Knesset, Modi continuously referenced the IMEC initiative – the India-Center East-Europe Financial Hall, which incorporates delivery, vitality and underwater web infrastructure. The initiative has largely stalled lately because of regional instability.

Some analysts crucial of India’s commerce agreements with Israel imagine that the affiliation with Netanyahu could have reputational impacts on Modi, and a ripple impact on IMEC and different strategic commerce relationships.

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Ghosh believes that threats of sanctions and criticism of Israel by Western blocs, significantly the EU and UN, are little greater than posturing. He described the worldwide condemnation to this point on the genocide in Palestine as "a lightweight rap throughout the knuckles".

"Only a few Western governments appear to be troubled by Israel's remedy of Palestinians. Israel continues to get pleasure from huge assist within the corridors of energy within the West, regardless of its behaviour," he mentioned.

The outcry in opposition to Modi’s go to to Israel has been restricted to a handful of opposition events inside India. Even when Modi sustains some reputational harm, it is unlikely that any of India’s commerce companions will balk at its now apparent friendship with Israel.

"Even the nations condemning Israel are in enterprise with it," Ghosh mentioned. "Do you actually assume the Europeans are going to surrender entry to the Indian marketplace for the sake of Palestinians? Not an opportunity."