Opinion | PM Modi’s Israel Visit: Civilisational Bonds To Strategic Convergence

Jajati K Pattnaik and Chandan K Panda

The inevitability of this relationship is unquestionable across security, defence, trade, technology, agriculture, culture, connectivity, and collaboration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on February 25, was historic and a watershed moment in the India-Israel relationship. This is his second official visit, the first being in 2017, and he is the first Indian prime minister to have addressed the Knesset. It marked the civilisational connection, shared culture, mutual cooperation, rich antiquity and consistency of interaction and understanding. The true appreciation of this relationship came too late, but came nevertheless.

The inevitability of this relationship is unquestionable across security, defence, trade, technology, agriculture, culture, connectivity, and collaboration. The warm reception given to the Indian prime minister was exceptional and inimitable. This illustrates the strong and consistent subcurrents of this relationship. More importantly, he acknowledged the contributions of 41,000 Indian diaspora in Israel, including skilled workforce and caregivers, for showing fortitude and courage when Israel was fighting the war against its antagonists. Speaker of the Knesset Medal, the Parliament’s highest honour, was conferred on him. This shows PM Modi’s leadership, impact and strong bonding with the people of Israel. He ended his address with the Hebrew “Am Yisrael Chai" (The people of Israel live) and “Jai Hind". They embody the essence of the India-Israel relationship, undergirding unity, solidarity and cooperation.

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The Indus-Jordan antiquity, civilisational cooperation, and dialogue are the underlying strengths of this relationship. When India and Israel meet, it is the meeting of two civilisational powers and friends. This civilisational continuity was underlined as the core constituents and enviable source of a deeper and enduring relationship. The two civilisations are aligned through the celebrated ideas of Hebrew Tikkun Olam (healing the world) and the Indic ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), as well as through the cultural commonalities of Diwali and Holi, respectively, with Hanukkah and Purim. The 85,000 Indian-origin Jewish community live in Israel. For them, India is the motherland and Israel their fatherland. They constituted the living bridge between the two ancient civilisations.

The Jewish community, including Bene Israel from Maharashtra and the Konkan region, Cochini Jews from Keralam, Baghdadi Jews from Kolkata and Mumbai, Bnei Menashe from Manipur and Mizoram, lived in India over two millennia with dignity and without fear of persecution and discrimination. They lived and practised their religion without any fear or apprehension. This explains the Indian ethos of accommodation, acceptance and inclusivity.

PM Modi mentioned the Book of Esther and the Talmud, which recorded the Indian civilisational connection with Israel. He referred to the Haifa memorial and the contributions of Indian soldiers to the region in the First World War. He mentioned the name Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, the hero of Haifa, and said his contributions are taught to schoolchildren in Israel. He also highlighted the notable Jews who contributed to India in different capacities: David Abraham Cheulkar for cinema, Walter Kaufmann for the iconic All India Radio signature tune, Doctor Reuben David for Kankaria Zoo in Ahmedabad and David Sassoon for philanthropy. He also referred to the statue of the Maharaja of Nawanagar (Gujarat), known as Jam Saheb, in Moshav Nevatim for sheltering Jewish children during the Holocaust and protecting them from the jaws of death.

Economic Co-operation

Israel is a hub of innovation and startups. India is emerging as a global trade centre. Deeper collaboration between the two on green growth, AI, and quantum technology will strengthen both countries’ economic energy and diversification. India’s demography is its capital. Israel needs to engage the Indian workforce to augment the scale of cooperation and collaboration. The Free Trade Agreement is the biggest takeaway of this visit. It will take the Israel-India relationship to a new height of intense interdependence and solid and prolonged cooperation. A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) encourages turbocharged investment in high-tech manufacturing and infrastructure. The tech exhibition in Jerusalem on February 25 focused on partnerships in agri-tech, climate-tech and health-tech. It was discussed that 100 Agricultural Centres of Excellence be opened to help farmers use technology to drive an agrarian revolution. Drip irrigation and desert agriculture are notable areas where Israeli agrarian technology and innovation are used. This will transform the conventional conceptions of agriculture. It will help the farmers to enhance productivity.

The Abraham Accord is the cornerstone of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). It provided the framework to bring together India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, the European Union, and the US to carve a corridor for an alternative supply chain, trade and connectivity. India and Israel are critical partners in this multimodal connectivity framework linking India to Europe. Both leaders decided to add renewed momentum and new speed to this corridor project. The I2U2 (India, Israel, the UAE, and the USA) framework was discussed to augment economic engagement, strengthen resilient supply chains, and invest in energy, water, and transport. Haifa port is the critical logistical bridge that is central to the IMEC supply chain and connectivity corridor. An MoU was signed to establish the national maritime heritage complex and preserve the history of maritime ties. In the area of digital and financial connectivity, an MoU was signed to integrate India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Israel’s digital payment framework. This will transform the digital space for transactions. It is cheaper, easier and faster. Payment-related transactions will happen without hassles with remarkable ease

Strategic and Defence collaborations

Both countries are surrounded by a neighbourhood antithetical to their progress. Turkey and Iran are Israel’s arch enemies. Pakistan and China pose serious challenges to India. China peddles the softer approach. Pakistan chooses the most demonstrative approach. But their antagonism persists. India’s preparedness along the north-western and the north-eastern borders is to be robust to prevent any eventuality. The regional fragility and uncertain world demand trusted partners.

India and Israel enter into a relationship governed by trust, confidence, and civilisational memory. Therefore, this partnership underlines culture, civilisation and a deep sense of commitment. The MoUs were signed to expand the scope of bilateral defence ties. Co-development and co-production of next-generation solutions were the main focus. Push for the Make in India initiative for Israeli defence technologies in India, and for the joint production of the Iron Dome and Iron Beam (a laser-based air defence platform) systems featured in the defence basket. They will be integrated into the existing S-400 and Barak-8 to shield Indian frontiers from drones, rockets, and ballistic missiles. This will give India multi-layered air defence and a durable security infrastructure. The protection against possible use of Turkish drones and Chinese missiles by Pakistan and any misadventure from the other side of the Himalayan frontiers will be robust and effective, and counter-offensive will be precise and consequential. In the age of drone and missile warfare, robust air defence is an imperative. The Israeli air defence system is tried and tested. Israeli technology is reliable and robust. Priorities are given to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Quantum Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and semiconductors.

The unified policy framework is a landmark decision taken during this meeting. This will deepen the defence ties and collaboration. The MoU on the Transfer of Technology (ToT), especially advanced weapon systems, is an extraordinary achievement. Israel never did this with any other country. The Rampage air-to-ground missile, Ice Breaker naval cruise missiles, and Air LORA supersonic missiles, if added to India’s defence architecture, will transform the nature, scale and scope of the Indian defence industry. The co-production of Hermes 900 will transform offensive drone warfare systems and counter-drone architecture. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “Hexagon of Alliances" is a strategic structure and geopolitical vision that focuses on defence, the economy, security, and close partnership. This strategic construct is meant to counter radical forces in West Asia. The Hexagon of Alliances involves Israel, India, Greece, Cyprus, Arab nations, and African/Asian partners. It may reset the region’s geopolitical configuration in terms of multi-layered balancing, robust connectivity and resilient supply chain diplomacy. Notwithstanding, India’s multi-aligned diplomacy and strategic autonomy hold significant potential to transform this region into a networked geo-economic architecture in future.

(Jajati K Pattnaik is a Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Chandan Panda is a Professor at Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, Karnataka. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.)

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