India–Israel Relations in a Changing West Asia

Prime Minister Modi emphasizes India's zero tolerance for terrorism and supports Gaza Peace Initiative during his visit to Israel.

Gopi

•February 26, 2026•6 mins read

Modi strengthens India–Israel ties, backs Gaza peace, and deepens trade and strategic cooperation

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1. Strategic Significance of PM Modi’s Israel Visit (2026)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) on February 25, 2026, marked his second visit to Israel in nine years. The visit comes at a time of heightened regional tensions following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and ongoing instability in Gaza.

By condemning the October 7 attack as a “barbaric terrorist attack” and expressing solidarity with Israel, India signalled continuity in its counter-terrorism policy and strategic engagement with Israel. This reinforces India’s evolving West Asia policy that seeks to balance security cooperation with broader regional diplomacy.

The visit also underlined India’s intention to deepen bilateral cooperation across sectors such as water management, agriculture, technology, digital finance, and trade. It reflects a transition from symbolic diplomacy to institutionalised strategic partnership.

"Like you, we have a consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, with no double standards." — PM Narendra Modi

Strategically, the visit strengthens India’s security and technological cooperation with Israel while projecting policy consistency. If ignored, India risks losing strategic leverage in a geopolitically sensitive region critical for energy security and diaspora interests.

2. Counter-Terrorism Convergence: October 7 and India’s Position

The Prime Minister unequivocally condemned the October 7 Hamas attack and expressed condolences for the lives lost. He linked Israel’s experience with terrorism to India’s own history, particularly the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed citizens of multiple countries including Israel.

India’s articulation of “zero tolerance for terrorism” reflects its long-standing position in global forums advocating uniform standards against terrorism. The emphasis on “no double standards” also indicates India’s critique of selective global responses to terror incidents.

This stance reinforces India’s security doctrine, strengthens intelligence and defence cooperation with Israel, and enhances India’s credibility as a victim of cross-border terrorism.

Security Dimension:

Enhanced intelligence sharing
Counter-terror technology collaboration
Defence procurement and innovation linkages

The convergence on counter-terrorism strengthens mutual trust and operational cooperation. If India dilutes this stance, it may weaken both its domestic security narrative and its diplomatic consistency in multilateral forums.

3. Gaza Peace Initiative and India’s Balanced Diplomacy

While expressing solidarity with Israel, India also supported the Gaza Peace Initiative endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. The Prime Minister stated that the initiative offers a pathway toward “a just and durable peace”, including addressing the Palestine issue.

This reflects India’s calibrated approach: supporting Israel’s security concerns while reiterating commitment to Palestinian statehood and a negotiated two-state solution. India’s West Asia diplomacy has historically balanced relations with Israel and Arab nations.

By backing a UN-endorsed peace framework, India aligns itself with multilateralism and rule-based conflict resolution, which is consistent with its global positioning as a responsible power.

"We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue." — PM Narendra Modi

India’s balanced diplomacy protects its strategic interests across West Asia, including energy imports, diaspora welfare, and trade. Ignoring this balance could alienate Arab partners and disrupt regional partnerships.

4. Abraham Accords and Changing West Asian Geopolitics

The Prime Minister acknowledged Israel’s efforts under the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with Arab countries, describing them as demonstrating “courage and vision.” However, he also noted that the regional situation has become more challenging since their signing.

The Abraham Accords signified a shift from conflict-centric politics to economic and strategic normalisation in West Asia. However, renewed tensions in Gaza and the West Bank have introduced uncertainty into the peace architecture.

India’s endorsement of regional normalisation efforts aligns with its broader West Asia policy that supports stability, connectivity, and economic integration.

Regional Implications:

Potential for expanded trade corridors
Defence and technology partnerships
Strategic reconfiguration of West Asia alliances

Regional normalisation expands India’s economic and strategic space. If instability deepens, it may disrupt supply chains, energy security, and diaspora safety—key pillars of India’s West Asia engagement.

5. Economic Cooperation and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

The visit emphasised expanding bilateral trade and accelerating negotiations for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Both countries are exploring “cross-border financial linkages” through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

India’s DPI model (such as digital payments architecture) is increasingly becoming a tool of economic diplomacy. Leveraging it for financial integration with Israel reflects India’s attempt to export governance innovation alongside goods and services.

Sectoral cooperation includes:

Water management technologies
Agricultural innovation
Talent partnerships
Cross-border fintech linkages
Proposed FTA to unlock “untapped trade potential”

This indicates diversification of ties beyond defence into civilian technology and innovation ecosystems.

Economic deepening reduces overdependence on defence ties and builds long-term interdependence. Without diversification, the relationship risks being narrowly security-centric.

6. Civilisational Links and Diaspora Diplomacy

The Prime Minister highlighted India’s historical links with Jewish communities in Kerala, Kolkata, and Mumbai, emphasising the absence of discrimination and longstanding coexistence.

This narrative strengthens India’s soft power by projecting pluralism and civilisational continuity. It also enhances people-to-people ties, which are critical for sustaining long-term bilateral relations beyond governments.

Cultural diplomacy complements strategic cooperation by building public legitimacy for partnerships.

Civilisational narratives build trust capital that outlasts geopolitical shifts. Ignoring such foundations would weaken the social legitimacy of strategic partnerships.

7. Strategic Balancing: Implications for India’s West Asia Policy (GS2–IR Linkage)

India’s Israel engagement occurs amid:

Ongoing Gaza conflict
West Bank tensions
Shifting regional alliances
Competing great power influences

India must manage simultaneous relations with:

Israel
Palestine
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states
Iran

The visit demonstrates India’s multi-vector foreign policy, balancing strategic autonomy with pragmatic partnerships.

Broader Implications

Strengthens India’s defence and innovation ecosystem (GS3)
Reinforces anti-terror diplomacy in multilateral forums (GS2)
Impacts energy security and diaspora protection (GS3/IR)
Enhances India’s role as a stabilising middle power

Strategic balancing safeguards India’s long-term interests in a volatile region. Failure to maintain equilibrium could affect energy flows, remittances, and diplomatic credibility.

Conclusion

PM Modi’s 2026 Israel visit reflects continuity and maturity in India’s West Asia policy—combining counter-terror solidarity, support for multilateral peace initiatives, economic diversification, and civilisational diplomacy.

Going forward, India’s challenge will be to sustain this calibrated engagement while protecting its energy security, diaspora interests, and global diplomatic credibility in an increasingly polarised regional order.

Quick Q&A

Everything you need to know

Prime Minister Modi’s address to the Knesset signifies the deepening of India–Israel strategic ties from a largely defence-centric relationship to a comprehensive partnership. By condemning the October 7 Hamas attack as a “barbaric terrorist attack” and expressing solidarity with Israel, India reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, aligning its security concerns with Israel’s.

The visit also highlights the evolution of bilateral cooperation across sectors such as water management, agriculture, innovation, and digital public infrastructure. India’s emphasis on cross-border financial linkages and an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reflects a shift toward institutionalising economic engagement.

At a broader level, the speech symbolises India’s willingness to engage openly with Israel at the highest political level while simultaneously reiterating support for peace initiatives in the region. This demonstrates diplomatic maturity and the transformation of India–Israel relations into a multidimensional strategic partnership.

India’s support for the Gaza Peace Initiative reflects its long-standing commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Israel–Palestine conflict. By endorsing a U.N.-backed initiative, India reinforces its image as a responsible global actor that upholds multilateralism and international law.

Strategically, this balanced position allows India to maintain strong ties with Israel while preserving its historical support for the Palestinian cause. This is crucial given India’s substantial energy dependence and diaspora presence in West Asia. A destabilised region could adversely affect India’s economic and strategic interests.

Thus, supporting the peace initiative enables India to project itself as a bridge-builder—condemning terrorism unequivocally while advocating a just and durable peace that addresses Palestinian aspirations. This nuanced diplomacy strengthens India’s credibility in the Global South.

India’s West Asia policy is guided by strategic autonomy and issue-based alignment rather than bloc politics. While strengthening ties with Israel in defence, agriculture, and technology, India simultaneously nurtures robust economic and energy partnerships with Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

India’s response to the October 7 attacks—condemning terrorism but supporting a peace process—demonstrates this calibrated approach. Additionally, India welcomed the Abraham Accords, seeing them as an opportunity for regional stability and economic integration.

For example, India’s participation in platforms like I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA) reflects its ability to integrate Israel into broader regional cooperation frameworks without alienating Arab partners. This multi-vector diplomacy safeguards India’s national interest.

India’s explicit support for Israel enhances trust and strategic convergence, especially in counter-terrorism and defence cooperation. Israel is a major supplier of advanced military technology to India, and such solidarity strengthens bilateral security ties.

However, there are potential challenges. West Asia remains volatile, and overt alignment could complicate India’s relations with certain Arab or Muslim-majority countries. Domestically, foreign policy positions are also scrutinised for their humanitarian implications, particularly regarding civilian casualties in conflict zones.

Therefore, while India gains strategic dividends, it must continue emphasising humanitarian concerns and a two-state solution to maintain diplomatic balance. The key lies in sustaining principled pragmatism—condemning terrorism without abandoning its broader peace-oriented stance.

India–Israel cooperation extends significantly beyond defence into areas of innovation and development. In agriculture, Israel has helped establish Centres of Excellence across Indian states, introducing advanced irrigation and crop management techniques.

In water management, Israeli drip irrigation technology has improved water-use efficiency in drought-prone regions. Collaboration in Digital Public Infrastructure and fintech linkages aims to deepen economic integration and facilitate cross-border transactions.

The proposed Free Trade Agreement represents another step toward unlocking untapped trade potential. These examples demonstrate that the partnership is increasingly development-oriented, benefiting grassroots sectors in India.

From a policymaker’s perspective, strengthening India–Israel ties offers long-term benefits in defence modernisation, technological innovation, and counter-terrorism cooperation. Israel’s expertise in cybersecurity, AI, and water technology aligns well with India’s developmental priorities.

However, West Asia’s geopolitical volatility requires a calibrated approach. India must ensure that closer ties with Israel do not undermine its energy security, diaspora welfare, or partnerships with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

A prudent strategy would involve three pillars:

Deepening economic and technological collaboration with Israel
Continuing diplomatic engagement with Palestine and Arab nations
Supporting multilateral peace initiatives

Such a balanced framework would maximise strategic gains while minimising geopolitical risks, consistent with India’s doctrine of strategic autonomy.