by Dr Manjari Singh & Chirayu Thakkar

The tricennial of diplomatic ties between India and Israel is marked by ballyhoo on state broadcasters, commemorative livery and logo, and a planned visit of Israeli PM Naftali Bennett. Not too long ago, India was Israel’s reluctant partner. One that was eager to secure Israel’s technology and arms but shy and shirking, at best, when it came to reciprocating political warmth. Even amidst this political vagary, defence deals were a constant. So was their cooperation in agriculture. Hence, for too long, India-Israel relations were read through a narrow prism of geopolitics and warfare along with agricultural cooperation. Nevertheless, with increasing warmth since 2014, both countries are engaging in newer domains below the radar.

Spurred by a flurry of high-level visits, India shed its Israel inhibition in 2014. Both countries signed the strategic partnership agreement and a series of pacts focusing on unexplored areas during PM Modi’s Israel visit, the first by an Indian premier. India’s renewed West Asia outlook, particularly its attempt at dehyphenating the Israel-Palestine issue, provided the space for the deepening of cooperation. Through diplomatic signalling in terms of separate visits to Israel and Palestine, dropping the demand for East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, and occasional neutrality at the UN, India has been able to overtly realise its relations with the Jewish nation. Advertently, it is in line with its independent policy in the wider Middle East.

Defence and agri-tech have unquestionably sustained the partnership all the while. Although marginally documented in Indian military history, Israel had helped India during two major crises of 1971 and 1999 with Pakistan by supplying mortars and ammunition. Dynamics have changed since then. Nature of acquisitions has moved away from mortars to missiles, and components to avionics. Globally, India is the second-largest arms importer after China. Given the equally hostile neighbourhood, Israeli defence technology suits the deterrent bracket desired by India. With competitive pricing, it has enjoyed success with Indian military planners. As of 2020, India was its largest recipient acquiring 43 percent of Israel’s total arms exports. The signing of the impending defence cooperation agreement will further enhance defence trade.

Likewise, Israel’s contribution to India’s food security is significant. Notably, Israel is the world leader in agricultural technology. Since the early phase of the normalisation, Tel Aviv has actively aided India in drip and community irrigation technologies. During former President Shimon Peres’ visit in 2014, he stressed how Israel can further assist India in its second green revolution by increasing crop productivity using smart farming technologies. Israel’s MASHAV along with India’s Ministry of Agriculture and different state governments have been involved in creating 30 Centres of Excellences (CoEs) spread across the country that will help roughly 1.2 lakh Indian farmers. In a recent move, while commemorating 30 years, both countries agreed to invest in the creation of 150 Villages of Excellences around these CoEs, focusing on capacity building and market linkages. Water conservation is another allied activity where India is learning from Israel’s success.

It is worth underscoring here that securing agri-tech from Tel Aviv is in New Delhi’s interest as agriculture remains the mainstay of the majority population in India. The sector is responsible for over 52 percent of employment, 16 percent of the GDP, and 10 percent of export earnings. Ranked at 101 out of 135 on Global Hunger Index, India’s food security challenges are acute. As its population continues to rise, the desire for technology that spurs agricultural productivity to meet domestic demand, enhance export revenues, and keep the sector lucrative is evident. In this case, Israel’s contribution would remain crucial in the days to come.

India’s gaze towards Israel’s technological prowess has not remained limited to Agri-tech. In the age of rapid digitisation with heightened exposure to the vulnerabilities of the virtual world, both countries signed a cyber security pact in July 2020. As a first step, India and Israel are jointly developing protected systems and services to avert incessantly increasing cyber-attacks on their civilian and strategic assets. It is a crucial indicator of trust the Indian side has placed on Tel Aviv for co-developing protective technologies in line with its Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative.

Both countries’ tiny diasporas have made notable contributions to host nations. India boasts around 5,000 Bene Israel Jews who are present in all walks of Indian life. Bnei Menashe, the Jewish population in north-eastern India, also traces its linkages to the Lost Tribes of Israel. Similarly, the Indian diaspora in Israel remains quite visible, from tech sector to caregiving. Increasing proliferation in tourism, education and health adds further social impetus to the bilateral.

Thus, beyond missiles and mortars, ‘India-Israel 2.0’ is getting underwritten by a broader spectrum of non-conventional areas such as information and cybersecurity, water conservation, education, health and research. The elevation of ties at the strategic partnership intends to deepen this incipient cooperation in new areas. A similar sentiment was noted in PM Modi’s tricennial commemoration speech, where he placed equal emphasis on evolving geopolitics and mutual possibilities. The renewed approach will benefit people at both ends as much as it would intensify trust and cooperation at the governmental level.

It is assumed that PM Bennett’s forthcoming visit may witness a plethora of agreements on various more such areas overlooked so far. However, the centrality of defence and agriculture would remain. To quote Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, the two countries are not just friends but partners. It reflects the sentiment that India and Israel mean business—but now, in many new sectors.