Israel–India relations

Contents

Israel–India relations describe interactions between Israel and India. Relations encompass diplomacy between New Delhi and Jerusalem, trade ties involving the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, defense cooperation including deals with HAL and Israel Aerospace Industries, and cultural exchanges featuring Bollywood and Hebrew literature. High-level visits such as those by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Benjamin Netanyahu, Narendra Modi, and Pranab Mukherjee have shaped bilateral priorities alongside multilateral forums like the United Nations and regional groupings involving Arab League neighbors.

Historical background

Early contacts trace to antiquity between Indus Valley Civilization trading routes and Ancient Near East polities such as Assyria and Babylon, with later diasporic ties through the Cochin Jews and Bene Israel. In the modern era, interactions were influenced by the Partition of India, the Arab–Israeli conflict, and India's leadership under Jawaharlal Nehru who aligned with Non-Aligned Movement principles and forged relations with Soviet Union allies. Strategic recalibration followed the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, culminating in covert contacts during the Cold War and public rapprochement after Soviet collapse and the liberalization policies under P. V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

Formal ties were established in 1992 under Prime Ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao and Yitzhak Rabin, leading to resident missions: the Embassy of India, Tel Aviv and the Embassy of Israel, New Delhi. Subsequent summits included visits by Ariel Sharon, Shimon Peres, and Ehud Olmert, and reciprocal state visits by Pranab Mukherjee and Reuven Rivlin. Cooperation spans bilateral agreements negotiated with ministries such as Ministry of External Affairs (India) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel), and parliamentary interactions via the Lok Sabha and Knesset friendship groups. Multilateral coordination has appeared in votes at the United Nations General Assembly and consultations with partners like United States and Russia.

Bilateral commerce grew after economic liberalization with major sectors involving diamonds, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and agriculture commodities. Trade delegations from Confederation of Indian Industry and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry have engaged counterparts at the Israel Export Institute and Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. High-profile investments include projects by Reliance Industries, Tata Group, Wipro, and acquisitions by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Elbit Systems. Energy discussions have involved Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC Videsh, and Israeli firms exploring partnerships with entities from Abu Dhabi and Qatar in regional frameworks.

Defense ties expanded with agreements for transfers of equipment from Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Elbit Systems to procure platforms such as Phalcon radar, Spike (missile family), and UAVs used by Indian Air Force and Indian Army. Joint exercises have included participation linking Indian Navy and Israeli Navy units, multinational drills with United States Navy assets, and counterterrorism collaboration involving Research and Analysis Wing and Shin Bet counterparts. Intelligence sharing has addressed threats linked to Pakistan, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda, while defence procurement procedures engaged agencies such as Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Ministry of Defence (India).

Collaborations arose through joint programs between Israel Innovation Authority and Department of Biotechnology (India), exchanges among institutes like the Weizmann Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Agricultural partnerships applied drip irrigation technology from companies such as Netafim to Indian states including Maharashtra and Karnataka, and research links involved Agricultural Research Organization (Israel) and National Dairy Development Board. Space and satellite cooperation featured entities like Indian Space Research Organisation and Israel Space Agency on remote sensing, while public–private projects partnered Biocon and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in biotech ventures.

Diaspora communities like the Bene Israel, Bnei Menashe, and Cochin Jews maintain cultural continuity with religious sites in Kerala and synagogues in Mumbai. Academic exchanges involve Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and programs in Tel Aviv University and Banaras Hindu University. Cultural diplomacy includes film collaborations crossing Bollywood and Israeli cinema, musical exchanges featuring artists from Prithvi Theatre and Habima Theatre, and tourism flows between Golden Temple pilgrims and visitors to Western Wall and Masada. Civil society links operate through NGOs such as Friends of Israel Initiative and student groups at University of Delhi.

Contestation arose over arms sales to Sri Lanka during the Sri Lankan Civil War, debates over policies toward Palestine Liberation Organization and votes involving Palestine at the United Nations, and domestic political responses from parties like the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized certain aspects of cooperation, while regional actors such as Iran and Turkey have reacted to strategic alignments. Bilateral tensions have required diplomatic management during crises such as the Gaza conflicts, visa controversies implicating the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), and debates in the Supreme Court of India over citizenship issues affecting migrants.