Israel’s Defence minister recently visited India.

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• Israel’s Defence minister recently visited India.
  • This year marks the 30th anniversary of establishing official diplomatic ties between India and Israel.
  • Israel opened its embassy in Delhi on February 1, 1992. The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv opened on May 15 that year.

More about the Visit

• Both sides adopted the India-Israel Vision on Defence Cooperation. 
• A Letter of Intent on enhancing cooperation in Futuristic Defence Technologies was also exchanged.
• The ministers also discussed a cooperation agreement signed between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel’s Directorate for Defense R&D.
• It is likely to enable the expansion of technological collaboration and development between both countries.

India-Israel relations

• History:
  • India had recognised Israel as far back as 1950 but normalisation took another four decades. 
  • In the wake of the first Gulf War, equations in West Asia underwent big shifts. 
    • Arab support for the Palestinian cause began to weaken due to the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) backing of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. 
    • Then came the breakup of the Soviet Union, which was until then India’s go-to country for military hardware.
  • In 1992, started defence deals, and cooperation in science, technology and agriculture, 
    • India was still reticent about its ties with Israel as it balanced this with its historical support for the Palestinian cause, its dependence on the Arab world for oil, and the pro-Palestinian sentiments of the country’s Muslim citizens.
  • The first high-level visits: 
    • In 2000, L K Advani became the first Indian minister to visit Israel. 
    • The two countries set up a joint anti-terror commission in 2000.
    • And in 2003, Ariel Sharon became the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India.
• Economic and Commercial Relations:
  • The bilateral merchandise trade grew from USD 200 million in 1992 to USD 6.35 billion (excluding defence) during the period 2021-2022, with the balance of trade being in India’s favour.
  • India is Israel’s third-largest trade partner in Asia and seventh largest globally.
  • In recent years, bilateral trade has diversified into several sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT and telecom, and homeland security.
  • Israeli companies have been instrumental in transferring technology to India in areas like renewable energy, telecom, water technologies. 
    • Many of them have also set up R&D centers in India.
  • The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries is also on cards.
• Defence Cooperation:
  • India imports critical defence technologies from Israel. 
  • There are regular exchanges between the armed forces. 
  • There is cooperation on security issues, including a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. 
  • Indian armed forces use Israeli Phalcon AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control Systems), Heron drones to Barak anti-missile defence systems.
• Cooperation in Agriculture:
  • A three-year joint work program has been signed between the two countries in 2021 for the development in agriculture cooperation.
  • It is aimed at establishing Centers of Excellence, intensifying value chains and encouraging private investment.
  • India has benefited from Israeli expertise and technologies in horticulture mechanization, orchard and canopy management, micro-irrigation and post-harvest management.
  • Israeli drip irrigation technologies and products are now widely used in India. 
  • Some Israeli companies and experts are providing expertise to manage and improve dairy farming in India through their expertise in high milk yield. 
• Science & Technology:
  • The two countries have established a Joint Committee on S&T, established under the S&T Cooperation Agreement signed in 1993. 
  • India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) has been set up to secure cooperation between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Government of India, and the Israel Innovation Authority, Government of Israel to promote, facilitate and support joint industrial R&D projects.
  • It will address the challenges in the agreed ‘Focus Sectors’. 
• Energy:
  • Tamar and Leviathan gas fields off the coast of Israel were explored recently and India has been one of the first countries to bid for an exploration license in order to extract and import natural gas from the fields.
  • India’s ONGC Videsh, Bharat PetroResources, Indian Oil and Oil India were awarded an exploration license by the Israeli government, a clear sign of ongoing diversification in ties between the two countries.

India’s Palestine support amidst India-Israel relations:

• India does continue to walk a tightrope, between its historical ties with Palestine and its newfound love for Israel.
• UNGA Resolution, 2017: India voted against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• UNHRC Resolution, 2018: India voted in favour of a resolution condemning the use of Israeli forces against the Palestinians.
• India’s recent statement in the UN Security Council on the Israel-Palestine violence:
  • The statement virtually held Israel responsible for the violence and expressed India’s “strong” support for the “just Palestinian cause” and “unwavering” support for the two-state solution.
• At the UNHRC’s 46th session in Geneva in 2021, India voted against Israel in three resolutions – 
  • The right of self-determination of the Palestinian people; 
  • Israeli settlement policy; and 
  • The human rights situation in the Golan Heights. 
  • It abstained on a fourth, which asked for a UNHRC report on the human rights situation in Palestine, including East Jerusalem.

Way Forward

• P2P contact: 
  • Despite increasing bonhomie between the two states, the people-to-people contact is still lacking. 
  • Increased citizen engagement will give further depth to the relations between the two countries.
• Bigger trade volumes: 
  • Though the trade volumes between the two countries have been increasing year on year, still it’s much below its potential level. 
  • The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should be executed soon and the trade basket must expand.
• Striking balance: 
  • Though Israel comes across as a natural partner, India should also be concerned about the human rights issues in Palestine. So far, India has been able to balance its geostrategic needs and international morality.
• China and Israel: 
  • Of late China’s engagement has been continuously growing with Israel primarily for the latter’s technology. 
  • India should be proactive in evolving its partnership with Israel from hereon.

Source: TH