Relationship dossier
India
Israel
Relationship assessment
A broad India–Israel partnership combines defense and technology cooperation with differences over Palestinian issues.
India toward Israel
+55India has developed defense, agricultural, water-management, and technology cooperation with Israel, alongside regular high-level engagement. India also supports Palestinian statehood and has taken positions on Palestinian issues that do not always align with Israeli policy.
Israel toward India
+60Israel has maintained substantial defense and technology cooperation with India and expanded high-level engagement, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India in 2018. Cooperation also extends to agriculture and water management.
Overall relationship
+55The enduring relationship is a substantial practical partnership, especially in defense and technology, reinforced by cooperation in agriculture and water management and recurring high-level engagement. India's continuing support for Palestinian statehood and occasional differences over related international votes are a notable counterweight, but have not displaced the broader cooperative structure.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
India and Israel maintain a broad, sustained partnership, particularly in defense, agriculture, water management, and technology. India has expanded high-level engagement while continuing to support Palestinian statehood and sometimes taking positions at the United Nations that differ from Israel's. These differences coexist with substantial practical cooperation.
Areas of tension
- India's support for Palestinian statehood differs from Israel's position on Palestinian statehood and related policy.
- India's votes and positions on Palestinian issues in international forums have at times differed from Israel's preferences.
Key developments
India and Israel established full diplomatic relations, opening the way for expanded bilateral engagement.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the first visit to Israel by a sitting Indian prime minister.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India amid continued high-level engagement and bilateral cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of cooperation across defense, technology, and agriculture are not fully clear.
- The extent to which India's positions on Palestinian issues affect bilateral cooperation is uncertain.