Modi’s Israel Visit: A Shifting India-Palestine Relationship & Strategic Alignment

New Delhi, India – As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his second visit to Israel, beginning February 25, the trip underscores a dramatic reshaping of India’s foreign policy and a deepening strategic alignment with Israel, despite ongoing concerns regarding the plight of Palestinians.

Modi’s first visit to Israel in July 2017 marked a watershed moment, being the first ever by an Indian prime minister. Welcomed by his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi described the journey as “path-breaking,” and Netanyahu reciprocated, stating they had agreed to “break down the remaining walls between India and Israel.” Nine years later, analysts say Modi is largely fulfilling that pledge.

The shift represents a significant departure from India’s historical stance. For decades, New Delhi maintained a policy of cautious engagement with Israel, rooted in its support for the Palestinian cause and its large Muslim population. India was a staunch advocate for Palestine in the post-colonial world, opposing the 1947 United Nations partition plan and becoming one of the first non-Arab states to recognize Palestine in 1988.

However, the end of the Cold War and a reassessment of India’s strategic interests prompted a gradual warming of ties with Israel in the 1990s, culminating in the establishment of full diplomatic relations in January 1992. Since then, defence cooperation has become the cornerstone of the relationship, expanding in recent years to encompass trade, technology, and other areas.

Modi’s ascent to power in 2014 accelerated this trend. His government has justified the closer ties with Israel as a “pragmatic approach,” emphasizing Israel’s technological and military expertise. Indian officials argue This represents balanced by continued efforts to maintain relationships with Arab allies. However, critics contend that this pivot has come at the expense of India’s longstanding support for Palestine and its moral standing in the Global South.

“The so-called realist turn of India has cost its moral power, which it used to enjoy in the Global South,” said Anwar Alam, a senior fellow with the Policy Perspectives Foundation think tank in New Delhi. Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Modi’s visit, Alam argued, “amounts to legitimising the apartheid Israeli state.”

The ideological underpinnings of the relationship are also noteworthy. Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shares certain ideological affinities with Israel’s political landscape, particularly a focus on national identity and security concerns. Both Modi and Israeli leaders view “Islamic terrorism” as a major threat, a framing that has drawn criticism from some quarters.

Defence ties have flourished under Modi’s leadership. India has become Israel’s largest weapons buyer, and in 2024, Indian companies reportedly sold rockets and explosives to Israel during its war on Gaza, according to an Al Jazeera investigation. Ahead of the current visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed to deepen defence cooperation further, including potential joint development of anti-ballistic missile defence systems.

During his visit, Modi is scheduled to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, a move analysts say underscores the scale of the shift in relations under the BJP. Max Rodenbeck, project director at the Washington-based Crisis Group’s Israel-Palestine department, noted the significance of the address, highlighting the overtly pro-Israel policy adopted by the Modi government.

The timing of the visit is also significant for Netanyahu, who faces a national election in the coming months. Rodenbeck suggested the visit could be seen as a “personal favour” to Netanyahu, boosting his image as an international statesman amid domestic challenges, including criticism over the handling of the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.

While several Western leaders have visited Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, few leaders from the Global South have made the trip. In a context where many emerging economies are distancing themselves from Israel, Modi’s visit is particularly noteworthy, according to Kabir Taneja, the executive director of the Middle East office at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. “India is playing that role,” he said, adding that the visit demonstrates that Israel is “not fully isolated.”

Despite the strengthening ties with Israel, India continues to publicly call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and advocate for peace through dialogue. However, it has been increasingly reluctant to openly criticize Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territory.

India’s historical support for Palestine is rooted in its non-aligned foreign policy during the Cold War and the principles espoused by Mahatma Gandhi, who opposed the creation of Israel as an imposition on the Arab population. India now refers to its approach as “strategic autonomy,” allowing it to maintain relationships with multiple actors in the Middle East, including Israel, Arab states, and Iran.

Looking ahead, some analysts suggest India may be anticipating a shift in the regional balance of power, with a potential weakening of Iran’s influence and a corresponding rise in Israel’s regional dominance. Rodenbeck speculated that India may be positioning itself to benefit from such a scenario, hoping to leverage its relationship with Israel to gain influence in Washington.

The visit also brings into focus a previously undisclosed element of Modi’s July 2017 trip. Emails released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files revealed that the convicted sex offender advised a billionaire close to Modi during the visit, claiming to have influenced the outcome. India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed these claims as “trashy ruminations.”

Trade between India and Israel has grown significantly since 1992, from $200 million to over $6 billion in 2024, with diamonds, petroleum, and chemicals dominating the exchange. Both countries are also pursuing a free trade agreement.