Blurb: India’s balanced Middle East policy is strengthening ties with Israel while maintaining strong relations with key Arab nations and expanding defence and technology cooperation

Washington

India’s pragmatic and balanced approach in the Middle East is helping deepen its strategic partnership with Israel, according to a report by the Middle East Forum.

Over the past three decades, ties between India and Israel have steadily grown from limited diplomatic engagement into a strong relationship focused on defence and technology. Shared concerns over terrorism, regional instability, and security challenges have played a key role in bringing the two countries closer.

The report noted that Israel has proven to be a reliable partner for India, especially in defence and technological cooperation. At the same time, India has maintained strong relations with Arab nations as part of its broader regional strategy. Cooperation between India and Israel now includes intelligence sharing, missile systems, surveillance tools, and counterterrorism efforts.

A major milestone was the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding on joint development and co-production, which reflects growing strategic alignment. This partnership also supports India’s push for self-reliance under the ‘Make in India’ initiative by reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

Israel’s strengths in defence innovation, cybersecurity, and advanced military systems have made it a key partner for India. Intelligence cooperation and border security technologies have further strengthened ties.

In recent years, India has also expanded engagement with countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in trade, energy, and investment. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted Israel’s consistent support for India during security challenges.