Indo-Israeli relations have always remained a mystery. Although there were some similarities between the two, some points were compelling. This audit of these relationships.
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Indo-Israeli relations have always remained a mystery. Although some issues were similar in both the countries, some issues were compelling. That is why it took more than four decades to establish formal diplomatic relations between India and Israel. After a long struggle with British colonialism, India and Israel became independent at about the same time in the 1940s. Both countries pursued a pragmatic democratic path, where democracy did not exist in their neighboring countries or democracy was in a weak state. Like India, Israel has thousands of years of history. Proof of which is the rich culture and the remnants scattered all over the country.
The biggest difference between the two countries is geographical size and population: Israel has a population of about 9 million, while India has a population of about 140 million. The area of Israel is 20,770-22072 sq. Km. In comparison, India's area is 32,87,263 sq. Km. One common thread between the two in terms of population is that both countries have a Muslim minority of 15-20 per cent of the population. From India's point of view, this issue has become a problem in establishing political relations with Israel.
The biggest difference between the two countries is geographical size and population: Israel has a population of about 9 million, while India has a population of about 140 million. The area of Israel is 20,770-22072 sq. Km. In comparison, India's area is 32,87,263 sq. Km.
India-Israel relations were initially based on popularity. But in the last three decades, they have gained formality. The Israelis, especially the younger generation, were fascinated by the history and culture of India. The contribution of this class is mainly in establishing bilateral relations. The large number of young people from Israel have been visiting India, which has helped them to connect with people from both the countries. The foundation laid by this class was instrumental in establishing formal political relations in 1992. Israel has been keen on forging friendly relations with India for so many years but it has not received much response from India.
What are the reasons behind India's non-response to Israel's initiative? As a newly independent nation, India must have considered the number of Arab nations on the UN platform and their role in boycotting Israel. At the same time, India could not afford to hurt its Muslim population by establishing relations with a Jewish nation. As a result, it was natural for India to be sympathetic to the Palestinian question. At the international level, India became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 along with the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdul Nasser. This further complicated India's relations with Israel. Another hurdle was that Israel was in the US bloc, while India had close ties with the Soviet Union.
By 1992, many of these barriers had been removed. First, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. This shocked the notion that all Arab nations were anti-Israel. The role of the Arabs was further shaken at the conference held in Madrid from 30 October to 1 November 1991. The conference called for a resumption of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Which will include the Arab countries of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The conference, which involved Israel and the Arab world, made it easier for many countries, including India, to establish relations with Israel.
The 1993 Israel-Palestine Oslo Accords and the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty removed a major hurdle in Indo-Israeli relations. This is because India has always been committed to the Palestinian cause. Meanwhile, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 changed the structure of the world's bilateral alliance. These developments made Israel an international priority. It also opened up new avenues for Israel to establish relations with Russia, China and India.
At the international level, India became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 along with the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdul Nasser. This further complicated India's relations with Israel. By 1992, however, many of these obstacles had been removed. India-Israel relations made rapid progress once the obstacles were removed. This became strategically important for both countries. The two countries have since stepped up cooperation in a number of areas. Which includes the political, cultural, economic and strategic spheres.
Israel provided India with up-to-date information and technology on agriculture and irrigation. In which Israel has acquired so much skill that even the Arab countries are eager to take Israeli products from third countries. Israel has also exported state-of-the-art technology to India in the fields of health, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
Strategically, with the rise of Islamic extremist groups such as ISIS, India and Israel established closer ties in the fight against terrorism. Their cooperation includes joint training and the exchange of intelligence on terrorist groups. India is Israel's number one arms buyer. Israel is the second largest supplier of defense equipment to India after Russia, surpassing the United States.
India-Israel established close ties to fight terrorism after the emergence of an Islamic extremist group such as ISIS from a strategic point of view. The coming to power of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India in 2014 marked a turning point in bilateral relations. His attitude towards Israel proves how leadership can make a difference in relations between the two countries. Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Israel in July 2017.
Modi has differentiated between Israel and Palestine only by visiting Israel. Earlier, Indian officials visited both Israel and Palestine for political convenience. From Israel's point of view, it is also significant that under Modi's leadership, India has been absent from many of the anti-Israel proposals on the UN platform. The rapprochement between the two countries has strengthened the friendship between the Prime Minister of India Modi and the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. In response to Modi's visit to Israel, Netanyahu also visited India in January 2018. During these visits, the two countries reached agreements in a number of areas, enhancing cooperation.
Israel is a small country geographically compared to India. But looking at the relationship between the two countries to this day, the relationship that is flourishing between the two countries today is unprecedented.
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