Defence ties to regional alignments: Why PM Modi is visiting Israel now

What Happened

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tel Aviv on February 25, 2026 for a two-day state visit — the second-ever visit by an Indian PM to Israel (after Modi's first visit in July 2017).
• India and Israel are upgrading their bilateral ties to a "Special Strategic Partnership" — a higher diplomatic tier comparable to Israel's partnerships with the US and Germany.
• Key agreements signed or expected: an updated security pact with a new secrecy mechanism; MoUs on defence cooperation (including integration into Israel's Or Eitan laser-based air defence system); and collaboration frameworks for AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.
• Modi addressed the Israeli parliament (Knesset) — a significant diplomatic milestone.
• The visit is contextualised by the Gaza ceasefire (January 2025), Israel's regional strategic recalibration, and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) framework.

Static Topic Bridges

India-Israel Bilateral Relations — Historical Arc

India recognised Israel as a state in 1950 but did not establish full diplomatic relations until January 1992 — over four decades of diplomatic ambivalence driven by solidarity with the Arab world, domestic Muslim vote-bank considerations, and Cold War alignments. Full ambassadorial ties were established in January 1992, coinciding with the post-Cold War strategic reorientation.

The transformation of the relationship accelerated under the BJP-led government: Israeli PM Ariel Sharon visited India in 2003 (first Israeli PM visit); PM Modi visited Israel in July 2017 — the first-ever visit by an Indian PM, during which the ties were elevated to a "Strategic Partnership." The February 2026 visit upgrades this further to "Special Strategic Partnership."

India-Israel Defence Partnership — Scope and Significance

Israel is one of India's most significant defence technology partners. Between 2020 and 2024, Israel supplied approximately 13% of India's total arms imports, making Israel India's third-largest arms supplier after Russia and France. In the same period, India was the single largest importer of Israeli weapons — accounting for roughly 34% of Israel's defence exports.

Key systems India has acquired from Israel include: Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system (jointly developed by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries/IAI); Heron and Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs; Spyder air defence system; Litening targeting pods for combat aircraft; and various radar systems including ELM-2052 AESA radar for Jaguar aircraft.

The Or Eitan laser-based air defence system (also called "Iron Beam" in earlier iterations) represents a frontier capability — using directed energy (high-powered laser) to intercept drones, mortars, and short-range rockets at very low per-intercept cost. India's integration into this system would mark a significant qualitative upgrade in air defence.

India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) — Geopolitical Context

The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) was announced at the G20 New Delhi Summit (September 2023) as a multimodal connectivity project linking India to Europe via the Arabian Peninsula. The corridor has two legs: an eastern leg (India → UAE → Saudi Arabia via rail and sea) and a northern leg (Saudi Arabia → Jordan → Israel → Greece → Europe via rail and ferry).

Israel is a critical node in the IMEC's northern leg — goods would move from Israeli ports (Haifa) to Greece and onward to Europe. India's $1.7 billion investment in Haifa Port (via Adani Ports, in partnership with Israeli firm Gadot, operational since 2023) is a tangible IMEC-aligned investment. The Gaza conflict starting October 2023 temporarily complicated the IMEC trajectory (Jordan-Israel segment), but the February 2025 ceasefire has revived interest.

India's West Asia Policy — Strategic Autonomy Framework

India's engagement with West Asia (Middle East) has historically been shaped by energy dependence (Gulf region supplies ~60% of India's crude oil), the large Indian diaspora (approximately 9 million in Gulf states, primary source of remittances), and balancing relationships with Israel and Arab states. India was a historic supporter of Palestinian statehood at the UN.

Under the current approach, India has pursued simultaneous deepening of ties with Israel AND with Gulf Arab states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar), demonstrating that ties with one need not come at the cost of relations with others. This "multi-vector" West Asia policy is a departure from the earlier period when warming ties with Israel was seen as incompatible with Arab world relationships.

Key Facts & Data

• India-Israel full diplomatic relations: established January 29, 1992
• First Indian PM visit to Israel: Modi, July 2017
• Current visit: February 25-26, 2026 (two-day state visit)
• Bilateral tie upgrade: "Strategic Partnership" (2017) → "Special Strategic Partnership" (2026)
• Defence trade (2024): $185 million; peak $265 million (2023); India = 34% of Israeli defence exports
• Key systems: Barak-8 SAM (co-developed), Hermes 900 UAV (assembled in India), Spyder SAM
• Or Eitan: laser air defence system; per-shot cost ~$3.50 (vs. $20,000-$50,000 for missile interceptors)
• Adani Ports — Haifa Port: 70% stake acquired 2023; critical IMEC node
• IMEC: announced G20 New Delhi, September 2023; India-UAE-Saudi-Jordan-Israel-Greece-Europe corridor
• Indian diaspora in Israel: approximately 85,000 (including those of Indian origin holding Israeli citizenship)
• India-Israel bilateral trade (2024-25): ~$3.75 billion (excluding defence)