INDIA-ISRAEL RELATIONS

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Context:

• India and Israel signed a ‘vision Statement’ to further deepen the long-standing defence cooperation. This was adopted at a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz.

More on the news:

• India is an industrial superpower and Israel is a technological superpower – cooperation between our countries will expand the capabilities of both countries to contend with developing challenges.
• The two Ministers presented a joint declaration marking 30 years of Israel-India relations and reiterated their commitment to deepening defence ties.
• A Letter of Intent on enhancing cooperation in the field of futuristic defence technologies was also exchanged between the two Ministers.
• The discussion covered topics including strategic global challenges, military cooperation, defence industrial cooperation and joint Research and Development (R&D).
• They also discussed a cooperation agreement signed between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel’s Directorate for Defence R&D, which will enable the expansion of technological collaboration and development between the countries.
• The Ministers declared their intention to further develop defence cooperation in a manner that harnesses Israel’s “technological advance and operational experience”, together with India’s “extraordinary development and production capabilities”.
• In addition, the Ministers discussed partnerships within the government-to-government framework, military training, and technological cooperation with a focus on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and defensive capabilities.

Recent developments in defence relations:

• In October 2021, India and Israel had agreed to form a task force to formulate a comprehensive 10-year roadmap to identify new areas of cooperation as part of efforts to further advance the bilateral defence cooperation.
• At the same meeting, it was also decided to form a Sub Working Groups (SWG) on defence industry cooperation and in this regard, a Terms of Reference was signed between the two sides.
• Israel has been one of India’s top defence partners supplying a range of high end defence equipment. Indian armed forces rely heavily on Israeli Searcher and Heron UAVs to meet their surveillance requirements with growing need for more.
• In the second half of last year, the Army also placed orders for smaller, expendable ‘SkyStriker’ drones to be manufactured in Bengaluru by a joint venture between Israel’s Elbit System and India’s Alpha Design Technologies, which is now part of Adani Group.
• The two countries have several joint development projects in the pipeline, including the Long Range Surface to Air Missile also called Barak-8 for the Indian Navy’s warships. The development which saw some delays is now complete and the missile systems are being inducted.
• In another important project, in April, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited entered into a memorandum of understanding with IAI to convert six Boeing-767 civil passenger aircraft to midair refuelling aircraft in India for the Indian Air Force.
• However, another major deal for two more Phalcon Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS), to add to three in Service, has been stuck for a while for final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security. With the current focus on indigenous manufacturing and DRDO now indigenously developing larger AWACS, the Phalcon is unlikely to materialise.
• The Army which has operated Israeli small arms for a long time had contracted 16,497 Negev Light Machine Guns from Israel in March 2020 under fast track procurement and they have since been inducted.

Other Recent Development:

• India and Israel have launched a commemorative logo to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
• It features the Star of David and the Ashoka Chakra- the two symbols that adorn the national flags of both countries- and forms the numeral 30 depicting the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations.
• It symbolises the strong friendship, love and admiration that exists between the people of the two nations.

India-Israel relations: 

Introduction:

• Israel and India established diplomatic relations on 29th of January 1992
• The two countries have an extensive economic, military, and strategic relationship.

Political relations:

• Political ties between the two countries are friendly.
• Prime Minister Modi undertook an historic first ever visit by an Indian PM to Israel from 4-6 July 2017, during which the relationship was upgraded to a strategic level.

Economic and Commercial Relations

• India is Israel's third largest trade partner in Asia and seventh largest
• Major exportsfrom India to Israel include precious stones and metals, chemical products, textile etc.
• Major imports by India from Israel include precious stones and metals, chemicals and mineral products, base metals and machinery and transport equipment.
• Potash is a major item of Israel’s exports to India.

Cooperation in agriculture

• Under a comprehensive Work Plan for cooperation in agriculture signed on 10 May 2006, bilateral projects are implemented through Centres of Excellence.
• India has benefited from Israeli expertise and technologies in horticulture mechanization, protected cultivation, orchard and canopy management, nursery management, micro- irrigation and post-harvest management particularly in Haryana and Maharashtra.
• Israeli drip irrigation technologies and products are now widely used in India.

Defence relations:

• India is the largest buyer of Israeli military equipment and Israel is the second-largest supplier of military equipment to India after Russia.
• Military and strategic ties between the two nations extend to intelligence-sharing on terrorist groups and joint military training.

Indian Community:

• There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian-origin in Israel (with at least one Indian parent), who are all Israeli passport holders.

What can be done to further boost the ties?

• Free Trade Agreement: Both countries should push to negotiate the FTA, as attempt have been made over the past 14 years.
• Military cooperation: Both nations should look forward for transfer of defence technology along with defence equipment trade.
• Cooperation on Global issues: Israel supports India’s defence against terror and supported India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

Conclusion: India and Israel are natural partners. Relations between both nations are steadily growing and have many synergies and complementarities.

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