KEY POINTS
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi reasserted his support for Israel after a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- He had also expressed India’s “solidarity with Israel” soon after the surprise attack launched by Hamas
- The U.S., France, Germany, Italy and the UK released a joint statement about their support for Israel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reasserted his support for Israel after discussing the ongoing situation over a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Indian leader wrote about his phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart on Twitter, and said India “strongly and unequivocally” condemns all forms of terrorism.
“I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour,” Modi wrote on Twitter. “India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
The Indian prime minister had also shown support for Israel soon after Hamas launched the coordinated attack that caught the Middle Eastern country completely by surprise.
“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” Modi tweeted following the attack.
Modi’s quick response is worthy of mention because India, for the most part, is a country that does not outright pick a side during conflicts. In addition to this, India has been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause for decades, with past governments not entertaining a formal diplomatic relationship with Israel for a long time.
India was one of the last non-Muslim states to recognize Israel, and only established formal ties with the country in 1992.
While India publicly supports the Palestinian cause and has voted in favor of Palestine on different UN resolutions over the years, Modi’s immediate response following the recent Hamas attack reflects how India-Israel ties have grown significantly in recent times.
The relations between the two countries flourished under the Modi government, and today, Israel is one of India’s top suppliers of weaponry.
“India and Israel formally acknowledged their strategic partnership, during the historic visit of PM Modi to Israel in July 2017. The partnership encompasses cooperation on a range of issues, including security and defense, agriculture, water, space and high-tech,” S. Samuel C. Rajiv, author of “The India-Israel Strategic Partnership: Contours, Opportunities and Challenges,” told International Business Times on Monday.
Moreover, “there is a good personal chemistry between Narendra Modi and Netanyahu,” added India’s former diplomat KP Fabian, who believes India “should have asserted the need for a two-state solution” following the attack.
India, which has had its own bitter experiences with terrorist attacks, may have much in common with Israel.
Experts in the past have pointed out similarities between Zionism and Hindutva, a political ideology advocating Hindu supremacy that Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party associates with.
Moreover, India’s own pursuit of national interests has recently led to the strengthening of New Delhi’s ties with the U.S., a trusted Israeli ally.
The U.S., France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. released a joint statement about their “steadfast and united support to the State of Israel” and “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
“Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” said the statement from French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.S. President Joe Biden.
The leaders said they remain united “as allies, and as common friends of Israel.”
“All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed,” the statement added.
