New Delhi, India – As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for a second visit to Israel, beginning February 25, scrutiny is mounting over the deepening ties between the two nations and a perceived adoption by India of strategies reminiscent of Israel’s approach to conflict and security.
The connection first drew public attention in November 2019, when Sandeep Chakravorty, then India’s consul general in New York, publicly suggested that New Delhi should adopt an “Israeli model” in administering Indian-administered Kashmir. Chakravorty’s remarks came while Kashmir was under a severe military lockdown and communication blackout following the Modi government’s decision to revoke the region’s semi-autonomous status and jail thousands, including political leaders.
Chakravorty specifically referenced Israel’s settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, suggesting a similar approach to resettling Kashmiri Hindus who had fled the region in 1989 amidst an armed rebellion. “It has happened in the Middle East. If the Israeli people can do it, we can also do it,” he stated at the time, adding that the Modi government was “determined” to pursue such a course.
Six years later, analysts say Chakravorty’s words are proving prescient. The relationship between India and Israel, already strong in areas of trade and military partnership, appears to be evolving to encompass shared approaches to governance, particularly in dealing with perceived security threats.
According to analysts, this deepening relationship stems from a shared ideological vision. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is rooted in Hindutva, a philosophy that seeks to establish India as a Hindu nation – a concept mirroring Israel’s self-definition as a Jewish homeland. “The India-Israel relationship under Modi is a bond between two ideologies that see themselves as civilisational projects and Muslims as demographic and security threats,” said Azad Essa, author of Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel. “The friendship works because they have similar supremacist ends.”
One of the most visible examples of this perceived influence is the “bulldozer justice” policy employed by authorities in several BJP-ruled states. Over the past decade, homes and businesses belonging to Muslims have been demolished, often without legal due process, following communal tensions or protests. This practice has drawn comparisons to Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem to facilitate settlement expansion.
Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has become known as “Bulldozer Baba” among supporters for his frequent use of this policy. Political scientist Sumantra Bose noted that the Hindu nationalist belief system is “steeped in affinity for Zionism and Israel,” with generations of BJP cadres indoctrinated with a pro-Israel ideology.
The nation-state of Israel, Bose argued, serves as a model for Hindu nationalists implementing policies in India under Modi. “The Israeli ideal finds reflection in many policies and measures of Modi’s government.”
Beyond domestic policies, India and Israel share a robust defense relationship. India is the largest buyer of Israeli weapons, investing billions of dollars in purchases. This includes joint training sessions for Indian soldiers with the Israeli army, as well as advanced technologies like UAVs and air defense systems.
The security doctrine extends to the use of surveillance technology. Siddharth Varadarajan, cofounder of The Wire, a New Delhi-based news website, was reportedly targeted by Pegasus, an Israeli spyware sold to the Modi government under an undisclosed defense deal. “This Israeli model of using spyware to keep an eye on any possible arena of opposition or criticism is something that the Modi government has adopted and embraced wholeheartedly,” Varadarajan said.
While India has historically faced internal security challenges, including separatist movements, analysts argue that Israel has provided the technology and expertise to become “more oppressive, authoritarian, and militarised.” This includes treating populations as “external threats,” particularly in regions like Kashmir.
Since August 2019, Kashmir has been stripped of its semi-autonomous status and placed under a heavy military presence. The Modi government’s approach to Kashmir, characterized by a lack of political dialogue and reliance on military power, mirrors Israel’s approach to the West Bank, according to Bose. “It echoes Netanyahu’s approach of rejection and non-engagement with the Palestinians and the exclusive reliance on military power,” he added.
Essa concluded that, despite distinct historical contexts, India’s approach to Kashmir is increasingly mirroring Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, encompassing militarization, population management, and legal regimes designed to maintain control. “Like the occupied West Bank, India maintains Kashmir in a state of almost permanent emergency,” he said.
