Modi's Israel trip tests India's Middle East balancing act

DW News · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two‑day visit. He is set to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, and will address the Israeli parliament later in the evening. Ahead of Modi's trip, India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that the visit is meant to "reaffirm" the countries' long‑standing partnership and offer a chance to address "common challenges." "Our nations share a robust and multifaceted Strategic Partnership," Modi wrote on X before his departure. "Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years." The two leaders are expected to focus on security and economic cooperation, with priority on defense ties and missile systems alongside emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. "We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision," Netanyahusaid on X ahead of Modi's arrival. "Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress."Indian Jewish community dreams of a new life in IsraelTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A 'tricky' diplomatic balance Since Modi's historic first visit to Israel in July 2017, both countries have formally elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, marking the start of a new phase in bilateral ties. During Modi's visit, all eyes will be on how the Indian prime minister addresses the Gaza conflictin his talks with Netanyahu, balancing India's historical pro-Palestinian stance with deepening strategic and defense ties with Israel. However, in the days leading up to Modi's visit, India joined over 100 countries in condemning recent moves by Israel that they say consolidate its hold over the occupied West Bank and further weaken the Palestinian Authority's already narrow scope of governance. "I believe the primary focus of Modi's trip seems more centered on strengthening the India-Israel strategic partnership and defense cooperation, while making only token remarks about the two-state solution and peace in Gaza," Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, president of Mantraya, an independent research forum, told DW. D'Souza said that Israel knows India's political limitations, but will not mind as long as New Delhi recommits to continued strategic and defense cooperation.Prime ministers Modi and Netanyahu at the first ever visit to Israel by an Indian premier in 2017Image: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images "India is not being drawn into a Middle East war in a military sense, but it is certainly getting itself into a strategic entanglement, by its own choice," D'Souza added. "While it can continue to speak of its ability to maintain a balance and cordial relations with both blocs, it can hardly assuage either party, especially Iran, of India's neutrality," D'Souza said. Strategic expert C Raja Mohan said that how Modi engages Netanyahu on Gaza while signaling continued support for Palestinian statehood will be closely watched in Iran and across the Arab world. "With Gaza still under fire and regional tensions heightened by Iran's diminished but still consequential role, Modi's Israel visit underscores India's effort to advance hard interests without being drawn into regional camps," Mohan, a distinguished professor of American Studies at Jindal Global University, told DW.Defense cooperation takes precedence According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has become one of Israel's top defense customers, with $20.5 billion (€17.4 billion) in arm deals from 2020–2024, $8.6 billion (€7.3 billion) in 2026, and growing joint development. Tara Kartha, a former member of the National Security Council Secretariat, which sits at the apex of India's national security architecture, told DW that Israeli weaponry is now central to India's defense capability systems. Israel "provided not just 11% of total imports, but most importantly, committed to co-production in India of key surveillance and missile systems like Barak missiles and Harpy drones," Kartha said. "Both were battle-tested in Operation Sindoor," Kartha added, referring to the short conflict with Pakistan in May 2025 after a militant attack on Kashmir tourists in April. Indians seek jobs in Israel amid high unemploymentTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ajay Bisaria, a former diplomat, said Modi's visit to Israel can be seen as a further assertion of India's strategic autonomy and balancing of interests, along with its prioritization of defense partnerships. "India's strategic diversification of defense equipment sources requires maintaining strong relations with all its key defense partners: US, Russia, France and Israel," Bisaria told DW. Potential anti-ballistic missile pact on the agenda Many observers believe that an agreement on the development and deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems between the two countries will be signed during Modi's visit. But Sameena Hameed, chairperson of the Center for West Asian Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, urged against reading too much into it. "From what is publicly known, this is clearly not a mutual defense treaty of the NATO type, but rather it is an agreement for joint development, technology transfer and intelligence sharing, fully in line with India-Israel's long-term defense cooperation," Hameed told DW. D'Souza, who has been chronicling the issue closely, said that any possible anti-ballistic missile (ABM) pact, if signed, will potentially make India a stakeholder in the Israeli defense industry. "In case of an outbreak of a regional war involving Pakistan and China versus India, New Delhi's defense architecture will be technically and politically tied to Tel Aviv," she said. For Hameed, the broader charge of diplomatic ambiguity misses the point entirely. "Even with friendly nations, India supports what is in its national interest and principled position," said Hameed. "India has also voted against Iran's nuclear program in the UN, yet has extensive cooperation in other fields like the Chabahar port." "That is not a contradiction, that is the strategy," she added. Edited by: Ole Tangen Jr