Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on February 25 for a two-day state visit, his second since 2017, in a trip that shows the deepening military and ideological alignment between New Delhi and Tel Aviv at a moment of extreme regional tension. The visit comes as the United States deploys a massive naval force near Iran's coast, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, with President Donald Trump threatening military action if Tehran does not capitulate to American demands over its nuclear program. Against this volatile backdrop, Modi's embrace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a far-right leader facing international isolation and domestic pressure ahead of October elections sends an unmistakable message about where India's loyalties lie.
From Barefoot Strolls to Battlefield Alliances
The optics of the visit are carefully choreographed to project an unbreakable bond between two leaders who describe one another as "friends" and "brothers." Netanyahu greeted Modi personally at Ben Gurion Airport, and the Indian leader received a standing ovation from members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, who chanted his name as he arrived to deliver an address. Yet beneath the warm embrace lies a cold strategic calculus: India has become Israel's largest arms customer, accounting for 34 to 38 percent of Israeli defense exports between 2014 and 2024. The two countries have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand defense-industrial cooperation, with discussions reportedly focused on joint development of ballistic missile defense systems, laser weapons, long-range standoff missiles, and drones.
For Israel, isolated internationally over its genocidal war in Gaza that has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, Modi's visit represents a desperately needed diplomatic victory. Former Israeli diplomat Alon Liel acknowledged that Israel has "lost a lot of its international standing in the last two-and-a-half years," making this visit a "big diplomatic achievement" Netanyahu can present to voters. The Israeli leader has spoken openly of creating a "hexagon of alliances" including India, Greece, and others, a vision that analysts say India is unlikely to fully embrace, given its history of non-alignment, but which nonetheless draws New Delhi ever closer to Tel Aviv's orbit.
The Hollowing Out of India's Palestinian Commitment
Modi's visit has drawn sharp criticism both in India and internationally for its conspicuous disregard of Palestinian rights. In a joint statement, the two leaders "condemned terrorism in all its forms," language that implicitly endorses Israel's framing of Palestinian resistance as illegitimate. Modi told the Knesset that "no cause can justify the murder of civilians, and nothing can justify terrorism," a formulation that ignores the systematic killing of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces documented by the United Nations and human rights organizations. Notably absent from his schedule is any meeting with Palestinian leaders or visit to Palestinian territories, a departure from the more balanced approach India historically maintained.
The symbolism is there to see: Israel's parliament was lit in the colors of the Indian flag, and Modi posed for photographs with Netanyahu, while the suffering of Palestinians under occupation went entirely unmentioned in official statements. Indian opposition leader Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party condemned the trip, accusing Modi's government of abandoning the Palestinian cause.
Iran, War, and India's Dilemma
Modi's visit unfolds against the backdrop of the most significant US military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Two American carrier strike groups now operate within striking distance of Iran, and the Pentagon has deployed additional fighter squadrons, surveillance aircraft, and air defense systems to bases across the Gulf. President Trump has publicly mused about launching strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that Tehran has perhaps "10 to 15 days" to capitulate to American demands.
This poses a profound dilemma for India, which maintains strong ties with Iran and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the strategic Chabahar Port project, a critical trade gateway to Central Asia and a counterweight to Pakistan's Gwadar Port developed by China. Millions of Indians live and work in Gulf Arab countries, sending home billions of dollars in remittances annually, and any regional conflict would devastate their livelihoods. Yet Modi's public embrace of Netanyahu and his administration's silence on US threats against Iran suggest New Delhi is willing to subordinate its long-standing relationships to its growing military partnership with Israel.
Analysts note that while India will likely urge restraint behind closed doors, its public posture has shifted decisively. Kabir Taneja of the Observer Research Foundation told the BBC that regional stability in the Middle East is "critically important" for India's broader interests, but acknowledged that Modi's visit is "largely driven by bilateral requirements", specifically, India's need for advanced military technology that Israel can provide.
The "Axis of Nations" Vision
Netanyahu has been unusually explicit about his ambitions for the relationship, telling his cabinet that India is part of a future "axis" of like-minded nations. "Our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future," he said. Israeli officials have framed the visit as paving the way for "new partnerships and collaborations across many fields," including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.
Yet analysts caution that India's traditional policy of non-alignment places limits on how far this partnership can extend. Ryan Bohl of the RANE Network observed that while Israel would like to draw India into a broader geopolitical alignment, "India has no interest" in being pulled into a formal anti-Iran coalition. Md. Muddassir Quamar of Jawaharlal Nehru University noted that when crises arise among regional actors in the Middle East, "India has refrained from taking sides" and has "continued bilateral engagement that is based on Indian interests".
The question is whether that nuanced position can survive the current trajectory. Modi's visit, with its warm embrace of Netanyahu, its silence on Palestinian suffering, and its implicit endorsement of US military threats against Iran, suggests that India's definition of "strategic autonomy" has shifted significantly.