Relation Between India and Israel

Relation Between India and Israel: India and Israel have a strong diplomatic relationship and mutually beneficial business cooperation. India is reportedly Israel’s third-largest Asian partner, indicating a stronger cooperation between the two nations. These relations date back to ancient times. Israel makes significant profits from the sale of crude oil to India. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation was recently signed between Israel’s Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

In this article, we will look into the level of relations between India and Israel offering an in-depth understanding of trade and business between the two nations. We will also discuss the trade between the two nations to demonstrate the effectiveness of their alliance.

History of Relationship between India and Israel

India and Israel have maintained a close political, military, and economic partnership since the 1990s. The tense relations between India and Israel during the early stages were mostly influenced by Cold War politics. While Israel was an ally of the United States and NATO, India belonged to the Non-Aligned Movement and maintained close ties with the Soviet bloc and the Arab world. India rejected the UN Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947, but in 1950 it acknowledged Israeli sovereignty.

• In 1953, Israel established a consulate in Bombay. As Israel developed as an important Indian ally in the context of the India-Pakistan war, cooperation progressively grew. Israel provided India with weapons, ammunition, and information during the 1971 and 1999 Indo-Pakistani Wars. When Israel built an embassy in New Delhi and India opened one in Tel Aviv, full diplomatic ties were established in 1992.
• Both countries have expressed that they have a strong bilateral relationship, having “similarities in spirit” overcoming common problems, and increasingly collaborating in the industrial and technology sectors. They are members of the I2U2 Group, which was established in October 2021.
• India is Israel’s biggest consumer for military equipment sales as of 2022, and Israel is India’s second-largest supplier of military hardware after Russia. India purchases about 42.1% of all Israeli arms exports. The two nations’ military trade was valued at approximately US$9 billion between 1999 and 2009, and its strategic alliances include intelligence sharing on the actions of different terrorist organizations as well as cooperative military training.

Political Relation Between India and Israel

Political Relations Between India and Israel ties began in 1950, and the Israeli government later opened an immigration office in Mumbai. Also, the immigrant office is converted to a trade office and assigned to monitor the nation’s business operations in India.

• India and Israel nations have cordial political connections, which were strengthened following the prime minister’s visit in 2017. Also, the visit continues to be advantageous for both nations because seven agreements about the field of research and development were signed during the meeting.
• In 2018, several agreements that improve ties between the nations were signed, including a G2G (Government-to-government) agreement on cyber security.

Military and Strategic Ties Between India and Israel

India and Israel share the following military collaborations:

• Israel provides India’s anti-terror troops with counter-insurgency training in addition to selling radar and surveillance equipment for military use.
• The election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 marked a significant boost in India-Israel relations. In the months following Modi’s election in May 2014, Israel sold $662 million worth of military hardware and weaponry to India.
• This number of exports exceeds the sum of Israeli exports to India over the three years before it. In February 2015, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon paid India his first-ever formal visit as a minister of defense.
• Three Indian naval warships were stationed in the port of Haifa on May 10, 2017, one day before Indian Prime Minister Modi was due to visit during the summer. When the ships arrived in port, the Israeli navy and the INS Mumbai, INS Trisula, and INS Aditya engaged in a naval exercise.
• India declared plans to buy more weaponry from Israel in July 2020, following the deterioration of relations with China.
• The goal of encouraging greater engagement of Israeli defense enterprises in the Indian defense sector was one of the topics of discussion between the defense ministers of Israel and India.

Agricultural Relation Between India and Israel

The two countries established a $50 million agricultural fund in 2008 with an emphasis on micro-irrigation, dairy, and farming technology. This was the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project. By March 2014, ten centers of excellence with Israeli technological expertise were operating throughout India, providing farmers with free instruction on effective farming methods. The centers taught a variety of topics, including soil solarization, drip irrigation, and vertical farming. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, pomegranates, and mangoes are the main crops farmed at these centers.

Science and Technology Relation Between India and Israel

A Joint committee on S&T was founded in 1993. It was responsible for supervising India-Israel collaboration in the fields of science and technology as well as space. Modern R&D projects are jointly undertaken by both countries. To facilitate cooperative R&D initiatives in several areas, an MoU was signed in 2017 to establish the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F).

During PM Modi’s visit in 2017, the Israel Space Agency and ISRO signed three agreements about space collaboration. This partnership investigates space exploration and technology.

Cultural and Educational Relation Between India and Israel

The following describes the cultural and educational ties between India and Israel:

• Israel views India as a long-standing country with rich cultural traditions. In particular, Israeli youth get attracted to India, which promotes cross-cultural interactions. Direct flights between the two nations are provided by Air India and El Al, promoting travel and tourism.
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Haifa University, and Tel Aviv University all offer several courses in India. Academic interaction is encouraged by agreements between Israeli and Indian universities.
• Israeli students can apply for scholarships from India to attend several Indian universities. The Know India Program has been successful in tying young people of Indian ancestry to India.

Oil and Natural Gas Sector Ties Between India and Israel

India was among the first nations to apply for an exploration license to collect and import natural gas from the recently discovered Tamar and Leviathan gas fields off the coast of Israel. The Israeli government has granted exploration licenses to Indian companies ONGC Videsh, Bharat Petro Resources, Indian Oil, and Oil India. This is a strong indication of the continued diversification of ties between the two nations.

Trade Relation Between India and Israel

Trade relations between India and Israel are as follows:

• In 2018-19, the value of bilateral merchandise trade, excluding defense, came to USD 5.65 billion. Diamonds constitute almost 40% of this trade, which is a substantial amount.
• Trade industries such as homeland security, IT, communications, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture have all seen increased diversification in recent years. The number of Indian software companies operating in Israel has increased.
• Several Indian firms, including TCS, State Bank of India, Jain Irrigation, Sun Pharma, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and Wipro, have made large market investments in Israel.

Official Site Visits

The following explains the official site visits of both countries by the Prime Ministers:

Historic Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with convention in July 2017 by traveling to Israel instead of Palestine, making history as the country’s first prime minister to visit Israel. Seven Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Israel and India, covering topics such as agricultural cooperation, water conservation, and the creation of the India-Israel Industrial Research and Development Fund. Also, they elevated their two-way relationship to a strategic alliance. In his speech to the Indian community living in Israel, Modi announced the introduction of OCI cards and committed to establishing a significant Indian cultural hub in Tel Aviv.

Visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to India

To celebrate 25 years of diplomatic ties between Israel and India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to India in January 2018. This was the first visit since one by Ariel Sharon in 2003. Netanyahu wanted to invest $68.6 million in tourism, technology, agriculture, and innovation, as well as raise exports to India by 25% over three years. In an official ceremony, Indian troops who lost their lives in the Battle of Haifa were remembered. Nine Memorandums of Understanding in the fields of cybersecurity, space technology, aviation, homeopathic medicine, and innovation have been signed by the two nations. Also, Netanyahu wanted to bring back Rafael missiles for Delhi. Among the important leaders present at the conference were M J Akbar, Shashi Tharoor, Hamid Karzai, Sushma Swaraj, and Narendra Modi.

Recent Development of Israel-India Relations

In July 2017, a collaborative training session was organized by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), MDA-Magen David Adom (Hebrew: Red Star of David), and the Israeli National Emergency Medical Service (NIMS) to enhance and update IRCS first-responder skills.

• A record 70,000 Indian tourists traveled to Israel in 2017. 40,000 Indian visitors came to Israel in the first half of 2018 alone, demonstrating the persistence of this trend.
• Tourism statistics are expected to rise further because Air India started operating speedier (about seven-hour) direct flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv four times a week in March 2018.
• In July 2018, the Israel-India Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) announced its first recipients.
• These were businesses that aimed to improve the lives of Israelis and Indians through using solar energy, efficient water use, improved communications infrastructure, and life-saving surgeries. The fund’s objective is to support Israeli businesspeople who want to go into India.

Challenges in Bilateral Relations Between India and Israel

The following are the challenges between India and Israel:

• India is in favor of the two-state solution and has historical ties to Palestine. However subsequent policy changes have given rise to complex opinions.
• India has changed its voting patterns on UN resolutions about Israel and Palestine, sometimes voting in favor of Israel.
• Privacy and surveillance issues have been raised by the Indian government’s deployment of Israeli Pegasus spyware. There have been inquiries and legal challenges.
• The suspected use of Pegasus has drawn criticism and legal challenges from the Indian government.

Summary – Relation Between India and Israel

In summary, the relationship between Israel and India has evolved into an elaborate alliance over time. Even though the relationship continues to flourish in many areas, issues like the Pegasus scandal and the Palestinian question need to be carefully considered. There is a great deal of opportunity for these two countries to further improve their connections and collaborate more in the future.

Relation Between India and Israel UPSC

Q. The term “two-state solution” is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (2018)

(a) China

(b) Israel

(c) Iraq

(d) Yemen

Ans: (b)

Q. India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back. Discuss (2018)

FAQs on Relation Between India and Israel

1. Who is India supporting Israel or Palestine?

India’s foreign policy is fundamentally based on its support for the Palestinian cause. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was acknowledged as the only authorized representative of the Palestinian people by India in 1974, making it the first non-Arab state to do so.

2. What does Israel import from India?

India exported $3.39 billion to Israel in 2021. India’s top exports to Israel are rice ($54M), refined petroleum ($582M), and diamonds ($1.41B).

3. What are the Israeli companies in India?

Tea, soft drink, and beverage firms include Carmel Winery, Ein Gedi Mineral Water, L’Chaim Vodka, Lone Tree Brewery, Mey Eden, SodaStream, Tempo Beer Industries, and Vodka Perfect.

4. Which Indian companies are heavily invested in Israel?

Experts noted that a number of well-known Indian corporations operate in Israel, including Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro.