Israel’s strategic anchor to the east

Israel has no better friend than the United States as we are now seeing with the joint Israeli and US  strikes against Iran.  Israel may have major problems in its relationship with Europe, but that doesn’t mean it has no other friends and is increasingly isolated in the world. Exhibit A is last week’s visit to Israel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As Oshrit Birvadker put it in the Jerusalem Post on the eve of Modi’s visit, in the “emerging world order, Asia, with India at its helm, is becoming an indispensable pillar of Israel’s national security and its very survival”. In a fitting bookend, on 26 February Benjamin Netanyahu described the Modi visit as “extraordinarily productive” and “extraordinarily moving” that had elevated bilateral relationship into a “Special Strategic Partnership”.

While Israel is the Middle East’s only true democracy, India is the world’s largest democracy with a population of 1.4 billion, a major Asian power, a significant player in global affairs, the major peninsula connecting the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific and a significant stakeholder in the future of the Middle East.

Judaism and Hinduism are among the world’s ancient civilisations and “root faiths” that have sprouted other major religions. Many young Israelis love the romance of India and flock there each year. India has no history of antisemitism. The Paradesi synagogue in Kochi, built in 1568 is the oldest-surviving synagogue in the Commonwealth. Their rituals are sometimes similar, which is why Indian hosts don’t bat an eyelid when Jewish guests request some items on the menu not be cooked in particular pots or served with particular dishes. The distinctive Jewish humour resonates well in India. India’s tradition of hospitality towards the Jewish people is centuries old.

After the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 India extended deep sympathy to Israel. Both countries share the predicament of facing the threat of serial terror attacks planned, organized and launched from neighbouring territories. One of the prime targets of the Pakistan-linked terrorist attacks on Mumbai in November 2008 was the Jewish Chabad House.

Relations between the two countries weren’t always close. For many years Israel did not have an embassy in India, just a consulate in Mumbai. That changed in 1992 with the opening of an embassy in New Delhi. India began seeking counterterrorism assistance from Israel in the 1990s. India is Israel’s biggest arms export market, accounting for over 40 per cent of all defence exports. India has strongly supported normalisation of Israeli relations with key Arab countries. It’s an active partner in the so-called I2U2 (India, Israel as “I2” and US, UAE as “U2”) infrastructure and strategic alliance. India is a partner in a US backed development of a rail corridor linking the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Prime Ministers Modi and Netanyahu have clearly developed a very strong personal chemistry. The two sides had framed their ties as a Strategic Partnership in 2017 during Modi’s first visit to Israel. Last week they established a critical and emerging technologies partnership to cooperate in areas such as AI, quantum, and critical minerals. They spoke about opportunities to expand regional partnerships and alliances, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor initiative. PM Modi said the India-Israel relationship can do a lot for the global good, be it science, innovation, educational institutions, and water. He pointed out that India is implementing “a lot of good Israeli solutions in our country, especially in the agricultural sector, and we have had great results because of that”.

Overall, there were 27 outcomes from the visit, including 17 pacts, from an MoU on AI to establishment of the Indo-Israel Cyber Centre of Excellence in India. On defence ties, the two sides will move forward towards joint development, joint production, and transfer of technology. On agriculture, the two countries are creating Villages of Excellence. This will bring Israeli technology to every village in India, significantly increasing the income and productivity of millions of farmers. The two countries will soon finalise a free trade agreement. They established the India-Israel Academic Forum.

While having different positions on issues like Iran and the Palestinians, Modi’s visit demonstrated that India can still maintain a strong friendship with Israel and bilateral cooperation can advance to mutual advantage. Israel in turn views India as a first-rate strategic partner and is determined to continue deepening cooperation in the fields of defence, technology, and industry.

During his recent visit to Australia Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said his visit was an opportunity to bring the relations between our nations to a new beginning and “together make sure that they’re uplifted in new directions”. In his address to the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on the 25th, Modi affirmed: “India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment, and beyond”.

Who knows, maybe the Albanese government could look towards the Modi visit outcomes and take our Israel relationship to a qualitatively new level as well.

Anthony Bergin is an expert associate at the National Security College. Ramesh Thakur is a former UN assistant secretary-general and emeritus professor at the Australian National University.