In 2001, as a volunteer at Kibbutz Beit Guvrin in Israel, I encountered a phenomenon that has only grown stronger over the last twenty-five years: the extraordinary warmth that ordinary Israelis feel towards Bharat. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent observation that India shows “crazy love” for Israel did not surprise me. It reflected a sentiment I have repeatedly witnessed across Israeli society—from kibbutz communities and business leaders to academics and former military personnel.
That warmth was visible long before the current era of strategic partnership. It existed before defence agreements multiplied, before high-level state visits became routine and before the emergence of groupings such as I2U2 and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. It was rooted in a genuine affection for Bharat, its civilisation, its people and the sense of acceptance Israelis experienced while travelling across the country.
It is this deeper context that makes Netanyahu’s recent remarks significant. They were not merely a comment on social media popularity. They reflected one of the most remarkable people-to-people relationships in contemporary international affairs.
When Netanyahu remarked, “We face delegitimization in much of the world—but not in India. In India, there is an absolutely crazy love for Israel”, he was acknowledging a geopolitical reality that many strategic observers have noted for years. While Israel remains a polarising subject in many Western societies, public opinion in Bharat has remained favourable towards the Jewish state. The question is why.
The strategic psychology behind Bharat’s support for Israel
The answer lies partly in the shared strategic experiences. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has confronted repeated wars, terrorism, infiltration, rocket attacks and existential security threats from hostile actors in its neighbourhood. Bharat, too, has endured decades of cross-border terrorism, proxy warfare, separatist violence and repeated challenges to its sovereignty.
For many Bhartiyas, Israel represents a nation that refuses to surrender its security interests, prioritises deterrence and responds firmly to terrorist threats. Consequently, admiration for Israel is often less about Middle Eastern politics and more about respect for national resilience. This perception has strengthened in recent years as both nations have faced similar challenges from transnational extremist networks.
The Human Bridge: The Israeli connection with Bharat
Netanyahu’s remarks also point to a unique aspect of bilateral relations that receives far less attention in strategic discussions. For decades, Bharat has been the preferred destination for thousands of young Israelis completing their compulsory military service. Every year, young Israelis emerge from two to three years of service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)- Sherut Chova, often after operating in high-pressure combat or security environments. Seeking a psychological reset before entering civilian life, many choose Bharat.
This phenomenon is so widespread that it has become a recognised feature of Israeli society. In Israel, the route is often referred to as part of the famous “Hummus Trail”. The attraction is understandable. Moving from a highly structured military environment into the spiritual, cultural and social diversity of Bharat offers a profound contrast. Equally important is the hospitality Israelis encounter.
Unlike certain Western destinations where Israeli travellers often encounter political hostility or social scrutiny, they have traditionally found acceptance and warmth in Bharat. This has created a reservoir of goodwill that no government programme could replicate.
Mini-Israels in Bharat
The most visible manifestation of this relationship can be seen in places such as Kasol, Tosh, Dharamshala, Varanasi, Manali, Goa, Pushkar and many more. In parts of Himachal Pradesh, Hebrew signboards are commonplace. Local shopkeepers converse fluently in Hebrew. Cafés serve shakshuka, schnitzel and hummus alongside local cuisine. Entire local economies have evolved around decades of interaction with Israeli visitors.
These communities represent one of the world’s most successful examples of grassroots diplomacy.
A Personal Window into the Relationship Over the years, my own engagement with Israel extended beyond that first visit to Kibbutz Beit Guvrin.
Interactions with Israeli academics, entrepreneurs, intelligentsia, chambers of commerce and public institutions, media provided a firsthand view of how rapidly the relationship was expanding beyond diplomacy into economic and educational cooperation.
At various stages, discussions were initiated to strengthen ties between Israeli business organisations and the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There were also conversations regarding academic cooperation, including efforts related to establishing a chair at the University of Haifa in honour of Lieutenant General J.F.R. Jacob, the distinguished Bhartiya Jewish military commander whose operational brilliance played a decisive role in Bharat’s victory during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Why Israel matters to Bharat
While people-to-people relations are important, the Bharat-Israel partnership ultimately rests on hard strategic interests. One of the defining moments came during the 1999 Kargil War. At a critical juncture, Israel emerged as one of the few nations willing to provide urgent military assistance. Israeli surveillance equipment, precision systems and defence supplies helped strengthen Bharat’s operational capabilities during the conflict.
That support left a lasting impression within India’s strategic establishment. Since then, defence cooperation has become one of the pillars of the bilateral relationship. Today, Israel is among Bharat’s most important defence partners. Cooperation encompasses air defence systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligence sharing, electronic warfare, cybersecurity, precision-guided munitions, border surveillance technologies, and counter-terrorism expertise.
The relationship extends well beyond security. Israeli innovations in water management, drip irrigation, desert agriculture and precision farming have contributed significantly to agricultural modernisation across Bharat. Technology cooperation in artificial intelligence, health innovation, cybersecurity and start-up ecosystems continues to expand.
For Bharat, Israel represents not only a defence partner but also a critical source of innovation and technological collaboration.
The emerging West Asian order
The geopolitical context is equally important. The Middle East is undergoing a strategic transformation. Traditional divisions based on the Arab-Israel conflict are increasingly giving way to pragmatic partnerships driven by economics, technology, security, and connectivity.
The Abraham Accords accelerated this trend, while frameworks such as I2U2 and IMEC point towards a new regional architecture linking Bharat, Israel, the Gulf states, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. This is no longer a region defined solely by conflict. It is increasingly becoming a region defined by strategic interdependence.
Bharat’s ability to maintain strong relations simultaneously with Israel, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf partners reflects the maturity of its contemporary foreign policy.
Congress’s Response: Strategic reality or vote-bank reflex?
Against this backdrop, the reaction from sections of the Congress ecosystem to Netanyahu’s remarks deserves scrutiny. Congress leaders have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to sufficiently criticise Israel’s military actions in Gaza and elsewhere. Similar symbolism has emerged from opposition figures publicly displaying support for Palestine, including within Parliament.
Humanitarian concern for Palestinian civilians is entirely legitimate. Bharat has historically supported a two-state solution and continues to maintain relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. However, the larger question is whether parts of the opposition continue to view West Asia through outdated ideological frameworks that no longer correspond with geopolitical realities.
The Gulf monarchies themselves are expanding engagement with Israel. Strategic cooperation between Arab states and Israel has become increasingly normalised. Yet sections of India’s political class continue to frame the issue through binaries inherited from an earlier era.
This inevitably raises questions about whether domestic electoral considerations are shaping foreign policy rhetoric. The Congress leadership must explain why it appears uncomfortable with a partnership that enjoys broad support across Bharat’s strategic, defence, business, and technological communities.
Netanyahu’s observation about the affection Israelis receive from Bharat captures something deeper than diplomatic goodwill. It reflects the emergence of a mature strategic partnership rooted in shared experiences, common security concerns, and decades of people-to-person contact.
The thousands of young Israelis who travel through Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Rajasthan every year are not merely tourists. They are participants in one of the most successful examples of grassroots diplomacy in the modern world.
As the geopolitical landscape of West Asia continues to evolve, Bharat’s partnership with Israel will likely deepen further—not at the expense of its relations with Arab nations, but as part of a broader strategy of regional engagement.
The future belongs not to outdated ideological binaries but to pragmatic partnerships rooted in national interest. In that emerging order, the Bharat-Israel relationship stands as one of the defining strategic partnerships of the twenty-first century. Netanyahu’s remark may have been delivered with characteristic candour, but it revealed an undeniable truth: the relationship between Bharat and Israel today is sustained not merely by governments, but by societies that recognise in each other resilience, civilisational continuity and a shared determination to confront the challenges of an uncertain world.
