Arms and the Man

On July 4, Narendra Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Israel. As if to emphasise shifting foreign policy and relationships, Modi is not stopping in Palestine, though India did host the Palestinian president in May and continues to express support for the Palestinian cause. Military cooperation between India and Israel goes as far back as India’s war with China in 1962. Arms trading remains the foundation, with India being Israel’s largest client. The perceived sharing of security concerns has drawn the countries even closer.

$4.2 BILLION

VALUE OF TRADE BETWEEN INDIA AND ISRAEL IN 2016, UP FROM $200 MILLION IN 1992

$2 BILLION

VALUE OF THE ARMS DEAL SIGNED IN APRIL, THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY

#3

ISRAEL’S RANK AMONG COUNTRIES INDIA BUYS WEAPONS FROM, AFTER THE US AND RUSSIA

41%

OF ISRAELI ARMS EXPORTS BETWEEN 2012 AND 2016 WERE PURCHASED BY INDIA

8,000

THE NUMBER OF ANTI-TANK MISSILES, WORTH $500 MILLION, THAT ISRAEL EXPECTS TO SELL DURING PM MODI’S VISIT

$56 BILLION

VALUE OF INDIA’S ARMS SPENDING IN 2016; 7% OF WEAPONS COME FROM ISRAEL, COMPARED TO 68% FROM RUSSIA

#9

INDIA’S RANK AS EXPORT DESTINATION FOR ISRAELI PRODUCTS—IN ASIA, ONLY CHINA IMPORTS MORE

3.5%

OF ISRAEL’S IMPORTS COME FROM INDIA