Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel this week – marked by his historic address to the Knesset, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister – was a watershed moment in Israeli-Indian relations, reflecting unprecedented public support in Israel for closer ties with India.
Writing for the ‘Times of Israel’, J S Weiss, the founder and President of the Society of Jewish Scholars, said that Israelis are highly optimistic about India-Israel ties, while across the political spectrum, all Zionist parties in Israel support a robust alliance with India.
Israeli-Indian trade relations are poised to grow further and there are major opportunities for collaboration going forward even as both countries continue to deal with major strategic threats, wrote Weiss.
He mentioned that a major focus of Indian-Israeli relations should be rebuilding Israeli-Indian trade in the post-October 7 world and advancing towards IMEC – the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor – is a major way to do so considering that Israel is the natural link in a chain between India and Europe. IMEC, he said, would further empower the trade deals discussed.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu discussed IMEC during their discussions in Jerusalem, expressing their intent to advance cooperation to promote regional connectivity, stability and shared prosperity through the initiative and explore Israel’s role within its frameworks.
According to Weiss, IMEC also shows that the Israel-India relationship need not be limited to the two countries.
“Israeli-Indian relations can play a role in helping heal the tension in US-India relations, which have increased over the last year. Israel can serve as a mediating partner and opportunity for trilateral economic programmes. The previously established I2U2 partnership between Israel, India, the US, and the UAE already helps position the United States as the central linchpin in a web of economic relations – a strong counter to China’s Silk Road project,” he wrote in the ‘Times of Israel’.
Weiss further said, “Both India and Israel see their growing alliance as chances for strategic diversification and mutual benefit in a chaotic world. For both countries, they also boost confidence they have a place in the new age as unique, ancient civilisations with powerful, modern states. These flourishing relations are good not only for themselves, but their allies and partners across the world, chief amongst them the United States.”
(IANS)
