Solidarity with Israel was the broader message in the speech that the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, made at the Knesset on Wednesday. The bedrock of this solidarity between New Delhi and Jerusalem, Mr Modi reminded his audience, is based on a mutual acknowledgement of the threat posed by terrorism to both countries. The Indian prime minister mentioned the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023 that had led to the loss of an estimated 1,200 Israelis. Shared sentiment then made way for widening the scope of the bilateral engagement. On Thursday, India and Israel thus elevated their relationship to a ‘special strategic partnership’. A number of agreements were inked, expanding cooperation between the two countries in such areas as trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment. Military cooperation has been further augmented: joint production of military hardware and the transfer of technologies would be vital components in this context. There is also talk of the materialisation of a free trade agreement that would be mutually beneficial. Government-to-government meetings, Benjamin Netanyahu stated, are expected to take place in India soon.

The warmth between and the shared vision of Mr Modi and Mr Netanyahu have proved to be ballast to India’s ties with Israel. But India cannot de-hyphenate Israel from Palestine and the prickly issues in the neighbourhood. In this respect, Mr Modi’s decision not to utter a word on Israel’s disproportionate retaliation against Gaza — over 72,000 people have perished thus far — has raised eyebrows. Mr Modi’s refusal to use his platform to lay out India’s nuanced position — support for Israel against terrorism coupled with criticism of its actions in Gaza and the West Bank — will be interpreted as an implicit endorsement of Mr Netanyahu’s approach to Palestine. His support for the Gaza peace plan was also high on rhetoric than on substance. The impact of India’s approach to Israel is not limited to ties among India, Israel and Palestine. It also has bearings on New Delhi’s bonds in the Arab world and in West Asia which, given the rumbles of a potential conflict between the United States of America and Iran, is on the edge. Mr Modi’s government cannot afford to alienate its other partners even as it embraces, rather tightly, Israel.