Key Takeaways:
- Israel and India have had full diplomatic relations for many years, built on shared democratic values, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation in defense, technology, agriculture, and counterterrorism.
- What makes the bond between the two countries uniquely strong is the historical and cultural understanding of each other as ancient civilizations.
- The bond was reinforced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel and speech in the Knesset.
Since 1992, Israel and India have had full diplomatic relations. Although both countries were granted independence from the British in the same year, warm ties did not develop initially, as the countries viewed each other with skepticism.
In a recent interview discussing the expanding strategic partnership between the two nations, NPR correspondent Diaa Hadid specifically noted that relations were not always this strong. At the beginning of the interview, Hadid went out of her way to emphasize the colder relationship between the two countries.
Hadid’s emphasis on a more complicated past appeared intentionally designed to temper listeners’ perceptions of the growing closeness between the two nations by introducing historical skepticism at a moment when the focus should be on their expanding cooperation. By foregrounding earlier tensions, the impression left is that today’s partnership is fragile or transactional, rather than the product of sustained strategic alignment and evolving mutual trust.
Yet the broader trajectory tells a different story. The once-cautious relationship between the two countries has since blossomed into a dynamic and strategic partnership, with economic, political, and agricultural ties forging between them. Today, the two countries are looking to sign defense deals estimated to be between $8 billion and $10 billion.
However, the bond between the two goes beyond just politics and strategy. Both Israel and India share a deep understanding of the other as they are ancient civilizations reborn in modern state form. Each represents a people with a profound historical, cultural, and spiritual connection to its ancestral land. This shared civilizational identity fosters a unique understanding between the two societies, one rooted not only in strategic interests but in a deep awareness of history, continuity, and national resilience.
Joint historical ties further reinforce the relationship as India is also home to some of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, including Bene Israel, the Baghdadi Jews, the Bene Ephraim, and the Bnei Menashe.
It is thus understandable that when the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, was in Israel this week, for his second visit, he was awarded the Medal of the Knesset in recognition of his contributions to Israel and the Jewish people.
In Modi’s speech at the Knesset, much of his remarks focused on Israel’s security challenges and the pain the country and people have endured during the past two and a half years of war. Modi emphasized solidarity in the face of terrorism – a threat both nations have confronted and unfortunately know all too well – and reiterated India’s support for stability and security.
🇮🇳🤝🇮🇱 Prime Minister Modi, addressing Israel’s Knesset today:
“I also carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.
We feel your pain. We… pic.twitter.com/cOPd0GR6De
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 25, 2026
The mutual doubt that once existed between the countries today is a distant reality. Prime Minister Modi’s remarks in the Knesset were not symbolic of a purely diplomatic relationship, but rather a reflection of a relationship built on a substantial amount of mutual trust and shared respect between the nations.
As global alliances continue to shift, the India-Israel relationship can be viewed as a model for how ancient civilizations can evolve into growing democratic nations that uphold mutual and modern values.
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