India Israel Ties
Current Situation:
- Many have referred to the most daring attack that Hamas, the militant organization in control of the Gaza Strip, carried out recently against Israel as the worst to have occurred inside the borders of the Jewish state since the state’s founding in 1948.
- Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi extended “solidarity with Israel,” called for “terrorist attacks,” and expressed astonishment.
The development of India-Israel relations after independence:
Shortly after India gained its independence in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi pledged to support the Palestinian cause and rejected the notion of two nations based solely on religion. This decisively shaped India’s political attitude toward Israel.
- Despite their shared sympathy for the Jewish people, they both believed that a state founded only on religious discrimination could not be upheld on moral and political grounds.
- The Non-Aligned Movement, the United Nations, and the overall consensus within the Arab world all influenced India’s stance on Palestine.
- India voted against the partition of Palestine plan at the UN, as did the Arab countries; the country also voted against Israel’s application for UN admittance.
- On September 17, 1950, New Delhi did, however, recognize Israel following the actions of two Muslim-majority nations, Turkey and Iran; in 1953, Israel was permitted to construct a consulate in Mumbai, but New Delhi was not granted any diplomatic presence.
- India granted the PLO recognition as the only authorized representative of the Palestinian people on January 10, 1975, and allowed it to open an independent office in New Delhi.
- India became the first non-Arab state to recognize the PLO, despite being among the last non-Muslim states to recognize Israel.
During the rule of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi:
- During the Indra Gandhi administration in 1980, India elevated the PLO office to the status of an embassy, complete with full diplomatic rights and benefits.
- A significant expression of solidarity with Palestine was produced by the NAM conference in India in March 1983. Following a state visit to Libya, PM Indira Gandhi paid a visit to Arafat’s headquarters in Tunis in April 1984.
- Then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi carried on India’s policy toward Palestine, and the country remained resolutely supportive of Palestine even after the “iron fist” policies of Israel caused the Palestinian intifada (uprising) to break out in December 1987 in Gaza and the West Bank.
The dynamic between India and Israel is evolving:
- By now, though, some in India were opposing New Delhi’s Palestine policy and its overt backing for the Arab world.
- Israel provided India with weaponry and ammunition in the 1962 and 1965 conflicts, whereas the Arab nations remained neutral during the 1962 India-China war and supported Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.
- When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the region underwent significant upheaval. The dissolution of the Soviet Union coincided with the PLO’s loss of political clout due to its backing of Saddam Hussain. This led India to alter its approach to West Asia.
- Days after China established diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, it opened full diplomatic relations with Israel in January 1992.
Israel and India’s military ties:
- Having full diplomatic relations with Israel was especially beneficial in the wake of the 1999 Kargil conflict.
- Precision target bombs were a vital weapon for the Indian Air Force because Pakistani intruders in Kargil were holed up in bunkers atop mountains and caves.
- After the IAF made contact with their Israeli counterparts, they quickly reportedly emptied their emergency stockpiles and transported the weapons to India, which turned out to be crucial in the moment of need.
- Following this, in 2000 the Vajpayee government sent Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh on his first bilateral visit to Israel, and in the summer of 2000 Home Minister L K Advani made many high-profile visits to Israel.
- In 2017, PM Modi made his first visit to Israel as prime minister; unlike past ministerial visits, he did not make the traditional stop in Palestine.
- Before the trip to Israel, the Prime Minister also traveled to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, all of which are Israel’s regional rivals. In May 2017, New Delhi hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. South Block officials consistently defended India’s stance on its support for the Palestinian cause in all of their public statements.
- Later, in February 2018, Modi traveled to Palestine but skipped Israel, thus severing the connection.
In the last ten years:
- Security, defense, and connectivity ties have strengthened during the past ten years not only with Israel but also with partners in West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Iran
- The 90 lakh strong Indian population in the region and access to both West Asia and Europe are the driving forces behind India’s strategic approach to interact with all parties in the complicated West Asian region. Notably, over half of India’s energy imports come from West Asia.
In summary:
- India finds itself in a tight diplomatic spot in the wake of the horrific surprise attacks over the weekend. This is because the current hostility puts the Abraham Accords and the efforts towards rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel to the test, with the potential to reshape long-standing fault-lines in the Middle East. India was hoping to benefit from the newfound peace in the region.
