India’s Pragmatic Middle East Policy Strengthens Strategic Ties with Israel

Washington: India’s balanced and pragmatic approach to the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East is expected to further strengthen its strategic partnership with Israel, according to a report by the US-based think tank Middle East Forum.

The report noted that over the past three decades, India-Israel relations have steadily expanded from limited diplomatic engagement into a strong partnership centred on security and technology cooperation. Shared concerns over terrorism, regional instability, and broader security challenges have played a key role in bringing the two countries closer.

“For India, Israel has proven to be a reliable defence and technological partner, even as New Delhi continues to maintain strong ties with Arab nations as part of its wider Middle East strategy,” the report said.

It highlighted that bilateral cooperation has grown to include intelligence sharing, missile systems, surveillance technologies, and counterterrorism efforts. Israel’s leadership in defence innovation, cybersecurity, and advanced military technologies has made it an important partner for India.

The report also described the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding on joint development and co-production as a significant milestone in the relationship. This shift reflects converging strategic interests, with Israel seeking to diversify partnerships while India aims to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and boost indigenous defence manufacturing under initiatives such as “Make in India.”

Co-production and technology transfer have emerged as key pillars of the partnership, alongside intelligence cooperation, counterterrorism strategies, and border security technology.

Over the past decade, India has simultaneously strengthened ties with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in areas including trade, investment, energy, and security cooperation. The report noted that several Gulf nations have also honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with top civilian awards for expanding bilateral relations.

Quoting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the report said, “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.”
 

With inputs from IANS