Modi Pledges 'Iron Alliance' With Israel in Historic Visit

A Rare Arrival from the Global South

When Narendra Modi's plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport on February 25, he was greeted with a full guard of honour — a scene that carried unmistakable diplomatic weight. The Indian prime minister's two-day state visit to Israel, his first in nine years, made him one of the very few leaders from the Global South to visit Tel Aviv since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.

In a landmark address to the Knesset — the first ever by an Indian head of government — Modi did not mince words. He condemned the October 7 attacks as "barbaric" and declared that "no cause can justify the murder of civilians." He pledged to forge an "iron alliance" against what he called "extremist Islam," and received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers before being awarded the Speaker of the Knesset Medal.

"India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond," he told the chamber. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visibly moved, called Modi "more than a friend — a brother."

From Buyer to Builder

Beneath the historic optics lies a strategic relationship of significant material depth. India is Israel's largest arms customer, having spent an estimated $20.5 billion on Israeli weapons between 2020 and 2024 alone. But the centrepiece of this visit was a shift in the nature of that relationship: away from a simple buyer-seller dynamic and toward joint co-production under India's "Make in India" initiative.

Multiple memoranda of understanding were signed across defence, technology, and trade. Israeli media reported that Israel agreed to share technical details of its Iron Dome air-defence system with India — a significant concession given the system's strategic sensitivity. New deals are estimated to total up to $10 billion, focusing on air-defence systems against missiles and drones.

The two leaders also committed to concluding a free trade agreement, building on bilateral trade that has grown from $200 million in 1992 to $6.5 billion in 2024. Talks covered AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technology as additional pillars of the emerging "special strategic partnership."

The Geopolitical Tightrope

Modi's visit is not without diplomatic friction. Just one week before landing in Tel Aviv, India joined over 100 nations in signing a UN statement condemning Israel's West Bank settlement expansion — albeit a day late, a delay that itself drew scrutiny. India's traditionally non-aligned foreign policy and its historic support for Palestinian statehood sit uneasily alongside its deepening embrace of Israel.

Critics at home and across the Global South have accused Modi of abandoning India's moral commitments. Foreign Policy analysts note that the visit tests India's long-standing doctrine of "strategic autonomy" — the ability to partner with competing blocs without being captured by any.

Yet New Delhi sees no contradiction. Israel demonstrated solidarity with India during its recent military confrontation with Pakistan, and the Middle East remains vital to India for energy supply, expatriate remittances, and the broader connectivity ambitions underpinning India's global economic rise.

Redrawing the Map

Analysts point to a broader realignment underway. Netanyahu has publicly proposed a "hexagon alliance" including India, Greece, and Cyprus. While India has not formally endorsed the grouping, the direction of travel is clear. New Delhi has emerged as Israel's strongest non-Western partner — a relationship now firm enough to weather the turbulence of an ongoing war in Gaza and sustained international pressure.

For Modi, the visit cements a foreign policy bet that prioritises strategic advantage over multilateral consensus. For Netanyahu, it offers something equally valuable: legitimacy from one of the world's largest democracies at a moment when most of the world has turned away.