It has been two months since the Israel-Palestine conflict was re-ignited after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023. This attack coincided with the celebration of the Yom Kippur War victory in Israel. Since then, there has been a fierce battle between Israel and Palestinian groups, both physically and virtually. Both sides are engaged in a war of ground and a war of perception against each other. Although the ground battle is limited to Israel-Palestine, the virtual battle fought in media space knows no border. Amidst the virtual battle, there has been disinformation and fake news peddled by both sides and their supporters. One such disinformation is spread regarding India’s stand in the conflict. Hence, we must bust these disinformation campaigns and give the world an Indian perspective on how we look at this conflict.
FUNDAMENTALS OF INDIA-ISRAEL RELATIONS
One of the prominent disinformations peddled by state-sponsored disinformation outlets like Al Jazeera and TRT, etc. is that India is abetting genocide by siding with Israel. This particular disinformation not only lacks logic but also harms India’s global reputation. The root of this disinformation stems from the overwhelming support that Israel finds among Indians. India was among the first nations to condemn the horrific terror attack on October 7. Furthermore, #indiastandswithisrael was the top trend in the country of 1.4 billion people. These instances lead these outlets and other individuals to jump to the half-baked conclusion that India has a sound relationship with Israel, thereby promoting violence in Gaza. To bust this myth, first, it is pivotal to understand the India-Israel dynamics. The following are the core reasons why Israel finds overwhelming support among Indians:
ISRAELI SUPPORT DURING THE 1971 INDO-PAK WAR
During the 1971 war, Israel helped India even when the two countries had not established diplomatic ties. In the era of the Cold War, there was Pakistan, which was in the American camp, and then there was India, which pursued a non-alignment policy. In the 1971 war, Pakistan was aided and abetted by the US, along with the Muslim world, including Palestine, against India. Pakistan was provided state-of-the-art weaponry and aid to attack India. India, on the other hand, lacked the technological edge over Pakistan to defend its sovereignty from attacks from Pakistan. In such a desperate moment, India asked Israel for weapons, even though India doesn’t even recognise Israel as a nation. Furthermore, India even voted against its creation in 1948. Israel, which itself was suffering from an arms shortage, stepped in and diverted an arms shipment meant for Iran to India.
Israeli PM Golda Meir requested diplomatic ties in return for arms, which was negated by the then-Indian government. It was only in 1992 that India established diplomatic ties with Israel. It is also important to note that America, which was like a godfather to Israel, prohibited it from assisting India against its ally Pakistan. Despite this and the fact that India had always sided with Arabs in its war against Israel, Israel helped India. Subsequently, with the help of Israel and the Soviet Union, India was able to depend on its borders. This help from Israel, against all odds, generated immense goodwill in the hearts of Indians. As they say – “a friend in need, is a friend indeed. Had Israel didn’t help, India would have lost the war and its sovereignty, as it was not just Pakistan but the US and UK it was up against.
THE KASHMIR ISSUE
Kashmir has always been India’s core issue and a crucial part of its foreign policy. Kashmir has always been an integral part of its territory. It also acts as a litmus test to check the level of engagement India shares with other nations. India only maintains strategic ties with countries that unequivocally support India’s stand on Kashmir. Israel, on the other hand, shares deep strategic ties with India, which in turn means Israel has always backed India in its stand on Kashmir. Apart from diplomatic support, it has also made investments in J&K. In 2022, Israel decided to set up two agriculture centres of excellence in Jammu and Kashmir. This itself shows the confidence and comfort the two nations share, which is further reflected in their public sentiments towards each other.
DEFENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION
India and Israel enjoy a very deep defence and security engagement with each other. The depth of this engagement can be expressed through the following points:
• India is the biggest buyer of Israeli weapons, amounting to $1.2 billion (2018–2022), which accounts for almost one-third of Israel’s total weapon exports.
• Apart from buying, India and Israel also collaborate on co-developing defence technologies, for example, the Baraak 8 surface-to-air missile, which is co-developed by both nations. Israel further actively supports the “Make in India” initiative to make India self-reliant in the defence sector.
• In 2020, India and Israel signed a crucial agreement to expand cooperation in cyber security in the wake of frequent cyber attacks from China and Pakistan.
• India and Israeli special forces also conduct joint military exercises, including counter-terrorism, ground infiltration exercises, etc. India also participates in the Blur flag international military aviation exercise held by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
• Even during surgical strikes on Pakistan in 2019, India used Israeli-made “Spice 2000” bombs to destroy terrorist training centres in Balakot.
HISTORICAL TIES
Keeping modern diplomatic, economic, and security ties apart, India has deep historical links with the Jews dating back centuries. Jews, even before the Holocaust, were subjected to discrimination and violence by the Christian and Islamic worlds. When Jews were persecuted everywhere in Europe and the Middle East, it was only India that accepted them with open arms. India was the only country that never discriminated against or persecuted Jews throughout history. Jews were given food, shelter, and equal opportunities in India. This fact is even officially recognized by Israel. After the formation of Israel, the first resolution passed by the Israeli parliament after adopting its constitution was to thank India for being the only country where the Jews were not persecuted. Even today, according to a Pew survey, 71% of Israelis have favourable views of India. Furthermore, India is a major tourist attraction for Israeli tourists every year.
WHO DOES INDIA SUPPORT?
Now to address the elephant in the room, who does India support—Israel or Palestine? Well, to answer it straight, India supports none. India supports peace, tranquillity, and constructive negotiations in the absence of terrorism and violence. This is India’s long-standing stance regarding the Israel-Palentine conflict. And to answer those blaming India for having healthy ties with Israel, they must learn about diplomacy. Maintaining a healthy relationship with nations is the top priority of any rational nation. Yes, India enjoys good ties with Israel, but so it does with Palestine. India, from the very beginning, has been contributing relentlessly to the betterment of Palestinian civilians. India supports Palestine and Palestinian refugees through contributions to the UN’s Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), to which it has given over $35 million over the last two decades.
The relationship between India and Palestine has been strong since its inception. On February 10, 2018, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas conferred PM Modi with the “Grand Collar of the State of Palestine,” the highest Palestinian honour for foreign dignitaries. This is the testimony of a strong Indo-Palinian relationship. Looking at the diplomatic history of the two nations, India has always supported the Palestinian right to self-determination. But, as one must understand, supporting Palestine doesn’t mean supporting Hamas. India doesn’t support the acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas against Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Precisely, this was why India abstained from the UNGA resolution introduced by Jordan, which called for an immediate truce. India abstained since the resolution did not include any “explicit condemnation” of the terror attacks by Hamas. As a victim of terrorism itself, condemning terrorism in all its forms has been India’s long-standing stance.
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CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, India’s policy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict is that of non-interference. India supports constructive dialogue and opposes the use of terrorism as a bargaining chip during discussions between the two sides. India has also backed a two-state solution to resolve this decades-long dispute. Indeed, India enjoys a sound relationship with both countries, but that doesn’t mean India unduly favours one over the other. India calls for a time-bound, equitable resolution of the conflict, considering the misery of the civilians affected by it. India is always up to fulfil its duty as a responsible state to facilitate the dialogue if it is needed. Furthermore, India has always maintained its principled approach towards the civilians of Palestine and consistently provided humanitarian aid to alleviate their suffering to the best of its capabilities.
