{"id":3829,"date":"2026-01-04T23:17:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=3829"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:45:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:15:25","slug":"india-israel-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/india-israel-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"India Israel Relations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the 1990s, India and Israel have developed a strong relationship encompassing economics, the military, and politics. Despite India's initial opposition to the\u00a0UN Partition Plan for Palestine<\/strong>\u00a0in 1947, they recognized\u00a0Israeli sovereignty in 1950.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Currently, India is Israel's one of the leading importers of military equipment. Both countries are active members of the\u00a0I2U2 Group<\/strong>, formed to foster collaboration and strengthen their ties.<\/p>\r\n

History of India Israel Relations<\/h2>\r\n

India announced its recognition of Israel on September 17, 1950. However, it established\u00a0full diplomatic relations only in 1992.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • India was part of the\u00a0Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)<\/strong>\u00a0while keeping a close relationship with the Soviet bloc and by proximity to the Arab world, while Israel was an ally of the United States and NATO.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Two main pillars:<\/strong>\u00a0Since the upgradation of India-Israel relations in 1992,\u00a0defence and agriculture\u00a0<\/strong>formed the two main pillars of bilateral engagement.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • In recent years, relations have rapidly grown across various sectors, with a future focus on a strong high-tech partnership between two knowledge-based economies.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Timeline of India Israel Relations<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    1947<\/strong><\/td>\r\n- India had voted against partitioning Palestine at the UN, rejecting the notion of two nations based on\u00a0religious criteria.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    1950<\/strong><\/td>\r\n- India recognized the existence of Israel.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    1992<\/strong><\/td>\r\n- Established\u00a0full diplomatic relations.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    2017<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

    - A paradigm shift in India-Israel ties:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    • Indian Prime Minister\u2019s state visit to Israel, becoming the\u00a0first Indian prime minister<\/strong>\u00a0to do so.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • The two countries have since elevated their ties to a\u00a0strategic partnership.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    2018<\/strong><\/td>\r\n- India voted in favour of a resolution brought by Turkey and Yemen in the UN\u00a0opposing the US' decision recognising Jerusalem as the capital<\/strong>\u00a0of Israel.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    2021<\/strong><\/td>\r\n-\u00a0India abstained on the resolution<\/strong>\u00a0that calls on the UN Human Rights Council to set up a permanent commission to probe human rights violations in Gaza, West Bank and Palestine.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    India Israel Ties until 1992<\/h2>\r\n

    India did not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until 1992 for several reasons, including:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    • Political ideology:<\/strong>\u00a0India\u2019s commitment to the non-aligned movement caused implied freezing relations with Israel that was increasingly seen as leaning towards the Western bloc.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Ties with Arab countries:<\/strong>\u00a0India\u2019s dependence on Arab states for oil imports led to a pro-Arab tilt in its\u00a0West Asia Policy.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
    • A need to garner Arab support for its position over the Kashmir issue compelled New Delhi to pursue an exclusively pro-Arab policy.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Nehru and Gandhi\u2019s stand:<\/strong>\u00a0Both of them pledged support for the Palestinian cause and rejected the\u00a0notion of two nations based on religious criteria.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
    • As an international scofflaw and occupying power, Israel has struggled to break diplomatic ties with the countries of the Global South, including India.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • Shift of India\u2019s stand:<\/strong>\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • On the Kashmir issue, West Asia supported Pakistan.<\/li>\r\n\t
      • The Oslo Accords of 1993<\/strong>: Agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), aimed to establish a framework for peace and self-governance in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        India Israel Relationship<\/h2>\r\n

        India and Israel have cooperated in a variety of sectors in recent years, including<\/p>\r\n

          \r\n\t
        • Political Relations:<\/strong>\u00a0Political ties between the two countries are friendly.Increased high-level exchanges and ministerial visits on both sides have expanded cooperation in different functional areas.<\/li>\r\n\t
        • Economic and Commercial ties:\u00a0<\/strong>The bilateral merchandise trade grew from USD 200 million in 1992 to USD 10.1 billion (excluding defence) during the FY 2022-2023, with the balance of trade being in India\u2019s favour.\r\n\r\n
            \r\n\t
          • India is\u00a0Israel's third-largest trade partner in Asia<\/strong>\u00a0and seventh-largest globally.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Key Indian exports to Israel:\u00a0<\/strong>Pearls, precious stones, automotive diesel, chemicals, machinery, electrical equipment, plastics, textiles, metals, and agricultural products.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Israel's major exports to India<\/strong>: Pearls, precious stones, chemicals, machinery, electrical equipment, petroleum oils, defence-related goods, and transportation equipment.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
          • I2U2: Founded in 2021 is a new strategic partnership;<\/strong>\r\n
              \r\n\t
            • Members:<\/strong>\u00a0India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and United States.<\/li>\r\n\t
            • It is also referred to as the\u00a0West Asian Quad\/Middle East Quad\/New Quad<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
            • Objectives:\u00a0<\/strong>To promote economic development, scientific innovation, and regional stability.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
            • Defence Cooperation:<\/strong>\u00a0Israel has remained among the top arms suppliers to India in the past two decades.\r\n\r\n
                \r\n\t
              • Both countries are cooperating on security issues, including a\u00a0Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
              • Indian armed forces use Israeli Phalcon\u00a0AWACS<\/strong>\u00a0(Airborne Warning And Control Systems), and Heron drones to Barak anti-missile defence systems.<\/li>\r\n\t
              • Participation in \u2018Make in India\u2019:<\/strong>\u00a0The Israeli defense companies IAI, Elbit Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have established partnerships with Indian firms Bharat Forge, Tech Mahindra, Adani Group, and Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture specialized sub-systems and enhance homeland security systems.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                \"Israel<\/p>\r\n

                  \r\n\t
                • Agriculture<\/strong>\r\n
                    \r\n\t
                  • Agricultural cooperation between the two parties is formalized through three-year work plans that include three-year action plans.<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • Fifth\u00a0three-year joint work program\u00a0<\/strong>was signed in 2021, which aims to establish new Centers of Excellence and grow the existing ones.<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • Both countries have signed a\u00a0MOU on Water Resources Management and Development Cooperation<\/strong>\u00a0in November 2016.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • Science and Technology<\/strong>\r\n
                      \r\n\t
                    • The two countries have established a Joint Committee on S&T, established under the S&T Cooperation Agreement signed in 1993.<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)<\/strong>\u00a0has been set up to secure cooperation between the Department of Science and Technology, India, and the Israel Innovation Authority, Israel to promote, facilitate and support joint industrial R&D projects.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • Energy<\/strong>\r\n
                        \r\n\t
                      • Tamar and Levianthan gas fields<\/strong>\u00a0off the coast ofIsrael were explored recently and India has been one of the first countries to bid for an exploration license in order to extract and import natural gas from the fields.<\/li>\r\n\t
                      • India's\u00a0ONGC Videsh, Bharat PetroResources, Indian Oil and Oil India<\/strong>\u00a0were awarded an exploration license by the Israeli government, a clear sign of the ongoing diversification in ties between the two countries.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                      • Cultural Exchange:<\/strong>\r\n
                          \r\n\t
                        • Diaspora<\/strong>: Approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin live in Israel.\r\n\r\n
                            \r\n\t
                          • Most arrived during the 1950s and 1960s, with the majority from\u00a0Maharashtra\u00a0<\/strong>(Bene Israelis) and smaller groups from\u00a0Kerala\u00a0<\/strong>(Cochini Jews) and\u00a0Kolkata\u00a0<\/strong>(Baghdadi Jews).<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Some Indian Jews from\u00a0North Eastern states<\/strong>\u00a0(Bnei Menashe) have also migrated recently.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Academic Collaboration:<\/strong>\u00a0Academic agreements have been established between Indian and Israeli universities, fostering collaboration and exchange.<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • In May 2013, a funding program for joint academic research was launched, involving the\u00a0University Grants Commission and the Israel Science Foundation.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                            Israel-Palestine Conflict<\/h2>\r\n

                            \"Map<\/p>\r\n

                            In early October 2023,<\/strong>\u00a0conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza-based militant group.\u00a0Hamas\u00a0<\/strong>launched rocket attacks into Israel and infiltrated southern Israeli areas, causing casualties and taking hostages. Israel responded swiftly with a retaliatory operation.<\/p>\r\n

                              \r\n\t
                            • Within a day, Israel officially declared war on Hamas, with the defense minister ordering a\u00a0\"complete siege\"<\/strong>\u00a0of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces.<\/li>\r\n\t
                            • The Prime Minister of India expressed shock at recent escalation, called \u201cterrorist attacks\u201d and conveyed \u201csolidarity with Israel\u201d.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                              Background of the Conflict<\/h3>\r\n

                              The Israel Palestine conflict has its origins in the late 19th century.<\/p>\r\n

                                \r\n\t
                              • Partition Plan:\u00a0<\/strong>In 1947, the United Nations approved Resolution 181(Partition Plan), which aimed to divide British Mandate Palestine into\u00a0Arab and Jewish states<\/strong>.\r\n\r\n
                                  \r\n\t
                                • Palestine was initially part of the Ottoman Empire and later came under British rule.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                • Arab-Israeli War:<\/strong>\u00a0On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established, leading to the first Arab-Israeli War.\r\n\r\n
                                    \r\n\t
                                  • This war concluded in 1949 with Israel emerging victorious, but it resulted in the displacement of many Palestinians and the division of the territory into three parts:\u00a0Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                  • Six-Day War:<\/strong>\u00a0In 1967, another conflict saw Israel occupying East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Syrian Golan Heights, Gaza, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                    India\u2019s Stand on Israel-Palestine Conflict<\/h3>\r\n

                                    India\u2019s relations with Israel and Palestine have been a roller coaster over the past seven decades. India, following the foreign policy principles of\u00a0Third World Solidarity<\/strong>\u00a0and non-violence established during the\u00a0Nehruvian era<\/strong>, has consistently shown strong support for the Palestinian cause throughout its history.<\/p>\r\n

                                      \r\n\t
                                    • India\u2019s position with regard to Palestine was guided by the general consensus in the Arab world, the NAM, and the UN.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    • India was one of the last non-Muslim states to recognise Israel, it became the first non-Arab state to recognise the PLO.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    • India stressed that no alternative to the\u00a0two-state solution<\/strong>\u00a0can guarantee peace between Israel and Palestine and said that direct negotiations are the only path to peace.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                      What is the \u201cDehyphenation Policy\u201d of India with respect to the Israel-Palestine Conflict?<\/h3>\r\n

                                      The \"De-hyphenation<\/strong>\" policy of India with respect to Israel and Palestine refers to India's attempt to separate its relationship with Israel from its relationship with Palestine.<\/p>\r\n

                                        \r\n\t
                                      • Prior to this policy<\/strong>, India's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was often seen as being heavily influenced by its support for the Palestinian cause.\r\n\r\n
                                          \r\n\t
                                        • However, in recent years, India has sought to broaden its relationships with both Israel and Palestine, while maintaining its support for the Palestinian cause.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        • Under the dehyphenation policy, India has sought to\u00a0engage with both Israel and Palestine on separate tracks<\/strong>, pursuing its interests with each country independently.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        • Now India\u2019s relationship with Israel would\u00a0stand on its own merits, independent and separate from India\u2019s relationship with the Palestinians.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                                        • The hyphenation was a compulsion during the Cold War era, but it continued to underpin India\u2019s approach even in the subsequent period, probably out of the fear of antagonizing the Arabs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                          Challenges in India Israel Relations<\/h2>\r\n

                                          There are several factors that can hinder India-Israel relations, including:<\/p>\r\n

                                            \r\n\t
                                          • Relation with Iran<\/strong>: Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, while India values cooperation for energy supplies and a Chabahar port route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                          • Approach towards the Arab world<\/strong>: Israel has differences with Arab nations, whereas India's recent UN vote against the US on Jerusalem reflects India's significant interests in the region.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                          • Stand on China<\/strong>: China is Israel\u2019s largest trading partner in Asia (Beijing's bilateral trade with Israel totalling $22.1 billion in 2022), with strong technology and investment linkages.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                          • The\u00a0Free Trade Agreement (FTA)<\/strong>\u00a0is stuck because of the concerns from the Indian domestic industry.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                          • It is\u00a0difficult to delink Israel and Palestine in India\u2019s foreign policy,<\/strong>\u00a0making it a significant consideration while strategizing the diplomatic relationship with Israel and other nations in the Middle East.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                            Way Forward<\/h2>\r\n

                                            India has so far been\u00a0successful in balancing its interests in the Middle East,<\/strong>\u00a0both bilaterally and multilaterally, without taking sides with either of the conflicting nations in the region.<\/p>\r\n

                                              \r\n\t
                                            • Flexibility in favour of India\u2019s national interest\u00a0<\/strong>must be made the top priority of the Indian government while dealing with Israel and Arab countries.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • To foster collaboration between Indian and Israeli entities, it's crucial to adopt a comprehensive approach that encompasses interactions at the governmental, business, and inter-business levels.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Both should collaborate against rising radicalization and cyber terrorism. India could adopt Israel's three-tiered strategy for a robust and resilient cyber system with strong defense capabilities.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • P2P contact:\u00a0<\/strong>Despite increasing bonhomie between the two states, the people-to-people contact is still lacking. Increased citizen engagement will give further depth to the relations between the two countries.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Bigger trade volumes:\u00a0<\/strong>Though the trade volumes between the two countries have been increasing year on year, still it's much below its potential level. FTA should be executed soon and the trade basket must expand.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                            • Striking balance:<\/strong>\u00a0A striking balance should bemaintained between relations with Israel and Palestine for India\u2019s geostrategic needs and international morality.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                              Despite these challenges, the strategic cooperation between India and Israel carries immense potential and is only set to grow further. India and Israel have managed to develop a strong strategic partnership in various fields, including defence, agriculture, technology, and counterterrorism. Both countries need to work on finding common ground and addressing the issues that arise in their bilateral relationship.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                              India and Israel are strategic partners, with India officially recognizing Israel in 1950. Full diplomatic relations between India and Israel were established in 1992.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[585,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-3829","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-quest-level-3","8":"tag-india-israel-relations","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3829"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22184,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829\/revisions\/22184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}