The period between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic first visit to Israel in July 2017 and his current return in February 2026 will be remembered as the most dramatic chapter in the history of ties between Jerusalem and New Delhi. Over that decade, a security alliance that had long lurked in the shadows of covert transactions emerged into the open as a bold, unapologetic partnership. India untied the Gordian knot binding its relationship with Jerusalem to the old diplomatic equation with Ramallah. At this process's peak, the partnership became visible, synergistic, and entirely unashamed. The image of the two leaders sitting at the water's edge, feet dipping into the sea at Olga Beach, was not merely a photogenic moment – it signaled the move from narrow technical cooperation to a deep strategic partnership steered by leaders who share genuine personal chemistry.
Months later, during Netanyahu's reciprocal visit to Delhi, the relationship was formally elevated to "strategic partnership" status. Now, nine years on, Modi's second visit reinforces what I call "the era of strategic intimacy." As India cements its standing as a global power, the moment has arrived to shift the partnership's center of gravity from the security arena alone toward active collaboration in the subcontinent's development and growth. In an age of global turbulence, diplomatic isolation, and a surging wave of antisemitism, India has emerged as a reliable strategic anchor – a partner deserving the deepest and most committed engagement from the Jewish people and the State of Israel alike.
But the Israel and India of 2026 are no longer the countries they were, and the dynamic between them has changed accordingly. In 2017, Modi was at the peak of his first term, consolidating power in the wake of his bold and contentious demonetization of the rupee. Those were the years in which the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, India's ruling Hindu-nationalist party) government laid the foundations for a "New India" – a sweeping digital revolution, far-reaching tax reforms, and unprecedented investment in human capital and vocational training for millions of citizens. All of this unfolded against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and the "Doklam crisis" (a 2017 military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops on disputed Himalayan terrain) with India's strategic rival, China.
Since then, the subcontinent has undergone a genuine metamorphosis. From a traditional cash-based economy, India has become a fintech powerhouse in which the UPI (Unified Payments Interface, India's real-time digital payment network) is the unquestioned standard. If in 2017 India was a cautious chess player trying to secure its seat at the table, by 2026 it is the "architect of the table" – the one shaping the rules of the game for itself and for its neighbors. Its foreign policy paradigm has shifted dramatically from passive "non-alignment" to an active strategy of "multi-alignment." While in 2017 India was still seeking international recognition, by 2026 it stands proudly as the vanguard of the "Global South" (the bloc of developing and emerging economies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America) and as a central pole in a multipolar world. Its economic growth has become an instrument of both soft and hard power, combining deep pride in Hindu civilization with resolute global dominance.
While India under Modi's leadership has confidently charted its path to center stage, Israel has experienced a decade of existential upheaval. In 2017, Jerusalem enjoyed unprecedented tailwinds from the Trump administration, which recognized it as Israel's eternal capital – a historic milestone in the struggle for legitimacy that had begun back in 1949. In those days, Israel was reshaping its strategic interests in the Mediterranean basin and in Asia, while India was beginning to demonstrate an open military presence, including its debut participation in the Blue Flag international air exercise (an Israel Air Force-led multinational aerial training exercise). With the signing of the Abraham Accords, it seemed as though Israel stood on the threshold of a new era of regional peace – a diplomatic vision that unfolded against the backdrop of a deepening internal rift.
Then came the events of October 7, and Israel's descent into a multi-front war shattered the illusion – and with it collapsed the entire strategic conception. The deep fracture seeped into every layer of Israeli existence: an unprecedented collapse in public trust in the institutions of government and the military, a fractured society wrestling with its own identity, and the conversion of the economy into a "war economy" under a security budget burden that ballooned to enormous proportions. On the international stage, Israel found itself under unprecedented pressure at the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and the UN, facing hostile public opinion – at times even from its closest friends. All of this was accompanied by a global wave of antisemitism reminiscent of the darkest periods of the 20th century.
Yet even within the fierce campaign, points of strength and opportunity emerged. The Iranian axis and its proxies were significantly weakened, while the unprecedented operational experience accumulated in the field, alongside technological developments born of Israel's survival instinct, made local defense industries more sought-after than ever. On the diplomatic front, the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco demonstrated surprising resilience and even expanded to additional countries such as Kazakhstan, serving as an anchor of security and economic pragmatism in the face of Iranian aggression. Israel remains a nation in post-trauma, grappling with high levels of national anxiety, yet alongside this a strong communal and civic resilience has grown – one that has become a central pillar of the society emerging from the other side.
The events of the past two years have sharply exposed the complex face of the international arena in which Israel navigates, and chief among those complexities are the limits of reliance on American support. Precisely in these moments of low ebb, India stood as a stable strategic anchor. Prime Minister Modi was among the first world leaders to unequivocally condemn the October 7 attack, and while critical weapons shipments from the United States were delayed, remotely piloted aircraft manufactured in Hyderabad were already flying above Gaza, providing critical intelligence. While Israeli ministers and businesspeople found themselves shut out of European capitals, Delhi rolled out the red carpet for them – proving that a true partnership is measured precisely in times of crisis.
Modi's visit comes at a moment when relations between Delhi and Jerusalem are at a historic high. In the past year alone, a series of groundbreaking agreements on investment protection and joint defense production have been signed, with figures disclosed recently estimating the value of deals currently on the table from the start of this year at approximately $8.6 billion. Alongside these stands the soft power of millions of Indians who supported Israel on social media, forming a vital line of defense on one of the war's most challenging fronts. Upon landing in Israel, Modi encounters a different country – more battered and roughhewn, yet one that understands that the secret of Jewish survival in the darkest of times lies in the capacity to look forward. After two years of grueling conflict, Israel has internalized that its strategic future lies, now more than ever, in the East.
Dr. Oshrit Birvadker is an expert in Indian foreign and security policy, an adviser to defense companies, and a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).
