The Modi Move

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cultivated a reputation for political memory – he neither forgets loyalty nor overlooks hostility. Whether rewarding steadfast partners or responding firmly to adversaries, his approach is marked by clarity and reciprocity. Nowhere is this doctrine more visible than in India’s evolving relationship with Israel – a relationship that under Modi has moved from cautious engagement to open strategic embrace.For much of independent India’s history, Israel was kept diplomatically at arm’s length. From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, successive Congress governments balanced relations carefully, prioritizing solidarity with Arab and Muslim-majority nations over visible warmth toward the Jewish state. India consistently backed the Palestinian cause, viewing it through the prism of post-colonial solidarity and domestic political sensitivities.Yet history tells a more complex story. In moments of acute crisis- particularly during conflicts with Pakistan and in the aftermath of major terrorist attacks- many Muslim-majority nations tilted toward Islamabad. Israel, however, quietly but decisively extended military and intelligence assistance to New Delhi, including during the Kargil conflict of 1999. Despite this, public acknowledgment from New Delhi remained muted, constrained by concerns over geopolitical optics.Modi’s tenure altered that calculus. His 2017 visit to Israel – the first ever by an Indian prime minister- was more than symbolic. It represented a deliberate and confident departure from the past. By openly embracing Israeli leadership and cooperation, Modi signaled that India’s foreign policy would no longer be inhibited by inherited ideological alignments. His personal rapport with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu injected momentum into bilateral ties, while Netanyahu’s 2018 visit to India reinforced the new warmth.Modi’s address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, the first by an Indian prime minister underscored this shift. Declaring that “India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction,” he received a standing ovation -a powerful image of a relationship no longer conducted in whispers. Modi conveyed India’s “deepest condolences” to Israel, for the October 7,2023 attacks by Hamas and unequivocally condemning terrorism. The message was clear: India’s solidarity against terror would not be diluted by diplomatic ambiguity.Crucially, this recalibration did not come at the expense of India’s broader West Asian relationships. Under Modi, New Delhi deepened ties simultaneously with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. The so-called “de-hyphenation” policy – separating Israel policy from Palestine policy- allowed India to pursue strategic partnerships based on national interest rather than bloc politics.Defense cooperation, agricultural innovation, water management, cybersecurity, and advanced technology collaborations have since expanded significantly. The relationship has matured from a transactional defense arrangement into a broader strategic partnership rooted in shared security concerns and technological complementarity.For Modi, this openness also carries domestic resonance. A firm stance against terrorism and visible solidarity with a nation facing similar threats reinforces his image as a decisive leader. But beyond political optics lies a deeper doctrinal shift: India’s foreign policy is now unapologetically interest-driven. In the final analysis, the India–Israel partnership under Modi represents more than diplomatic expansion. It is a declaration that India will acknowledge those who stand by it and act without ideological hesitation. Where earlier governments chose discretion bordering on distance, Modi has chosen clarity. Ultimately, in geopolitics, clarity often yields greater dividends than caution.