Delhi, Tel Aviv affirm special ties, move in right direction

India has now de-hyphenated its relations with Israel and Palestine

While welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tel Aviv, his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his country had awaited the visit for “seventy years”. This was reflected in the camaraderie between the two Prime Ministers, who spent practically every waking moment together. The agreements signed during the visit, on water, agriculture, space and science and technology, are important no doubt, but not pathbreaking. They simply underscore ongoing cooperation in such fields — as well as in the defence sector, India being one of the biggest buyers of Israeli military equipment. Cooperation on cybersecurity issues, discussed by officials during Mr Modi’s visit, constitutes a breakthrough of sorts, given that Israel tends to limit cooperation in this area to a few countries. A decision was announced to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership, signalling a final step to total normalisation of relations.

With Mr Modi’s visit India has, for all purposes, de-hyphenated its ties with Israel and Palestine, something Israel has always wanted. In a clear repudiation of the Indian practice of keeping Palestinian leaders prominently in the loop, Mr Modi made a point of not visiting the Occupied Territories. India's evolving ties with Israel no doubt are based on pragmatism and the desire to eschew hypocrisy — but Mr Modi has infused his visit with a symbolism and substance that could well mark a point of departure in India’s moral support to the Palestinian cause.