India and Israel: From an interloper to an insider?

Since the time of its creation (1948) and thereafter, Israel has been a thorny issue in India’s foreign policy. Apparently, the two nations have had no bilateral disagreements, yet Israel continued to be a ‘pariah’ till 1992. Even though informal backchannel contacts were maintained between the two nations much before the formalization of ties, yet it is only from 2014 with a new government assuming power in India that relations between the two nations have acquired a degree of urgency and intimacy. In its attempt to comprehend the significantly altered nature of relations between India and Israel, the article provides a short historical framework before delving into contemporary times, focusing on the “real” character of the rapidly evolving relationship. The objective of the article is to critically understand the internal dynamics of the Israeli state, uncovering the various fault lines that remain, despite having acquired international legitimacy and acceptance and in an attempt to both comprehend and question India’s changed stance