India’s strategic partnership with Israel has expanded steadily over the past three decades, evolving from limited diplomatic engagement into a security and technology relationship. Shared concerns over terrorism, regional instability, and security challenges have brought the two countries closer. For India, Israel has demonstrated its reliability as a defense and technological partner, even as New Delhi has maintained strong ties with Arab states as part of its broader Middle East strategy.
Although initial contacts date back to the early 1950s, full diplomatic relations came only in 1992. Despite this, Israel quietly supported India during several critical moments. During the Kargil War, it supplied needed laser-guided weapons and military equipment when many Western countries hesitated. Similar support during the conflicts of 1965 and 1971 reinforced Israel’s image in New Delhi as a dependable partner in times of crisis.
Israel’s leadership in defense innovation, cybersecurity, and advanced military technology has made it an indispensable partner.
Over time, cooperation has moved to include intelligence sharing, missile systems, surveillance technologies, and counterterrorism. Israel’s leadership in defense innovation, cybersecurity, and advanced military technology has made it an indispensable partner. As former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon noted, “We are willing to share our techniques, our technologies, our know-how with India,” underscoring the centrality of technology transfer in the partnership. Israel’s expertise in counterterrorism and homeland security has further strengthened its role as a security partner.
During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, Israel supported India’s right to self-defense, and Indian forces employed Israeli-made equipment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked that India used Israeli defense equipment effectively, highlighting the depth of cooperation. This reflects a partnership that has evolved from procurement to sophisticated technological collaboration.
Israel’s consistent support for India juxtaposes with the Arab bloc. During the Cold War, when India championed Third World solidarity through the Non-Aligned Movement and faced crises in 1962 and 1965, most Arab countries—though politically close to India—remained neutral or aligned with Pakistan. Moreover, on issues such as cross-border terrorism, they avoided backing India.
The relationship received renewed momentum after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel in 2017, followed by subsequent engagements between the leaders of the two countries. Modi’s recent visit to Israel further deepened the partnership, particularly in defense cooperation.
India has also expanded its partnerships with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other regional actors in trade, investment, energy, and security cooperation.
A 2025 memorandum of understanding on joint development and co-production marks a significant shift in the relationship. This transition reflects converging strategic interests. For Israel, collaboration with India helps diversify partnerships and mitigate vulnerabilities in a volatile regional environment. For India, it aligns with efforts to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen indigenous defense capabilities under initiatives such as Make in India. Co-production and technology transfer have thus become central pillars of the relationship, and Israel now ranks among India’s most important defense partners. Intelligence cooperation, counterterrorism strategies, and border security technology have also become important pillars as both countries face hostile challenges.
Over the past decade, India has also expanded its partnerships with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other regional actors in trade, investment, energy, and security cooperation. Several Gulf Arab states have conferred their highest civilian honors on Modi to recognize his role in expanding bilateral relations.
Even under a different government, cooperation with Israel likely would have expanded due to national security considerations and the practical benefits of technological and defense collaboration. Pragmatic leadership naturally drives cooperation in line with national interests. For instance, in 2005, the Indian National Congress-led government voted against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency over concerns regarding its nuclear program—a decision shaped by strategic considerations.
Still, the Modi administration has embraced the bilateral relationship with enthusiasm. As India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has noted, “Israel is a country with which we have a strong record of cooperation in national security. It has also stood by us at different moments when our national security was under threat.”
As geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East continue to evolve, India’s balanced and pragmatic approach is likely to further strengthen its strategic partnership with Israel, even as many traditional allies in Western Europe peel away.
