KEY POINTS
- Modi and Netanyahu reaffirm expanding India–Israel security partnership.
- Analysts link Gaza offensive to Israel’s force-driven governance model.
- India continues heavy militarisation and security crackdowns in occupied Kashmir.
- Both governments face sustained international human rights criticism.
ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Wednesday their commitment to “strengthening a strategic partnership rooted in security cooperation, counter-terrorism, and intelligence sharing” — a convergence that reflects the two leaders’ increasingly hawkish approaches in illegally occupied Kashmir and Gaza.
In a post on X, Modi said he had spoken to Netanyahu to review the “regional situation” and agreed to “fight terror with greater determination.”
The conversation unfolded amid Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza under Netanyahu’s leadership, a campaign widely condemned for its scale and civilian toll, which analysts say reflects a shared worldview between New Delhi and Israel that prioritises brute force, militarisation, and collective punishment over political solutions — from Gaza to illegally occupied Kashmir.
Both India and Israel face sustained international criticism over their hardline policies in the illegally occupied territories.
In illegally occupied Kashmir, India continues to maintain heavy troop deployments, prolonged detentions, and sweeping security laws following the revocation of the region’s special constitutional status in 2019.
In Gaza, Israel’s military operations have drawn widespread condemnation for civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis. Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 71,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, Gaza’s health ministry said.
Observers say the Modi–Netanyahu dialogue highlights not just strategic cooperation but a shared governance philosophy that privileges force-driven security responses over political reconciliation.
Strategic convergence, regional repercussions
While the deepening India–Israel partnership strengthens New Delhi’s access to advanced military technology, surveillance systems, and intelligence capabilities, it also raises questions about how far India can align with Israel.
Analysts note that New Delhi’s increasingly visible political warmth toward Israel — particularly during periods of intense violence in Gaza — risks eroding India’s so-called image as a neutral actor on the Palestinian issue.
Any perception that India is ideologically aligned with Israel’s military actions could complicate diplomatic optics.
Gulf factor
A major stabilising factor in India’s relations with the Arab and Gulf world remains economic interdependence — particularly the presence of millions of Indian workers in the region.
An estimated 8 to 9 million Indians live and work in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, making it the largest Indian expatriate concentration anywhere in the world.
The United Arab Emirates alone hosts over 3 million Indian nationals, while Saudi Arabia accounts for roughly 2.6 million. Significant Indian communities also reside in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
These workers are a critical pillar of India’s economy, sending back tens of billions of dollars annually in remittances, supporting millions of households and bolstering foreign exchange reserves.
Diplomatic tightrope
For now, India appears intent on walking a diplomatic tightrope — expanding its strategic embrace of Israel while maintaining working relationships with Arab capitals.
However, analysts warn that rhetorical alignment with Israel during periods of heightened violence in Gaza could gradually weaken India’s standing in the Muslim world, particularly at the level of public diplomacy.
As Modi and Netanyahu push forward a security-centric partnership, the broader implications will be closely watched — not only in Gaza and illegally occupied Kashmir, but across a region where political optics, public sentiment, and economic realities remain tightly intertwined.
