India and Israel: Cooperation Beyond Security

Israel has always been of enormous assistance to India whenever it needed an immediate delivery of armaments, whether it was during the 1962 conflict with China or the 1971 war with Pakistan. With such a background, it's no surprise that this little, hardworking country has become India's third largest weaponry supplier, trailing only India's long-time ally Russia and USA. India is Israel's greatest arms purchaser. By 2016, the armaments trade had grown to approximately 600 million dollars. Since the establishing of diplomatic relations in 1992, India and Israel have intensified their military and intelligence cooperation. Due to the development of Islamic terrorism in both countries, the two countries have formed a close strategic relationship. The Indian Space Research Organisation has launched TecSAR, a military satellite for Israel.

Aside the defense cooperation, India and Israel still collaborate in many areas like unhighlighted as health and medicine. In December 2020, India and Israel reached an arrangement to providing clear information, construct climate-resilient facilities, and support Green Health Care in order to improve stronger cooperation in the field of health and medicine. India and Israel worked together during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering medicines, ventilators, oxygen plants, and oxygen generators, as well as recognizing each other's immunizations. Aside the defense cooperation, India and Israel still collaborate in many areas like unhighlighted as health and medicine. In December 2020, India and Israel reached an arrangement to providing clear information, construct climate-resilient facilities, and support Green Health Care in order to improve stronger cooperation in the field of health and medicine. India and Israel worked together during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering medicines, ventilators, oxygen plants, and oxygen generators, as well as recognizing each other's immunizations. Nonetheless, the economic and commercial relation between both the countries are growing, India and Israel started the negotiation with the goal to conclude the free trade agreement by mid-2022. The bilateral trade India and Israel have re-started talks on a free trade agreement, with the goal of reaching an agreement by the middle of 2022. Bilateral trade volume increased from US$ 200 million in 1992 to US$ 4.66 billion in 2012. in 2020-21, and US$ 4.82 billion from April to November. By 2021, the trade balance will be in India's favour. Israel is India's third largest partner in Asia and the seventh largest in the world. Bilateral trade has also expanded into various sectors in recent years, including Pharmaceuticals, agriculture, water, information technology, and telecommunications are examples of major industries. Israel and India have extensive cultural relations, and Israel also assists India in modernizing its agricultural systems. India and Israel inked a three-year collaborative working program through 2023 in May 2021, with the goal of enhancing agricultural cooperation. Under a comprehensive work plan for cooperation in agriculture signed on May 10, 2006, bilateral projects are implemented through MASHAV (Center for International Cooperation of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and CINADCO (Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation of Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). Agricultural cooperation between the two sides is formalized through three-year action plans. The two sides are currently implementing the fifth phase of the joint action plan (2021- 23).

India's foreign affairs minister, paid a state visit to Israel in October 2021, during which Israel entered India's initiated international solar alliance. This is important because India and Israel can work together to fight climate change and produce renewable and sustainable energy. Although being a major defense partner India and Israel also shared a deep bod in science and technology cooperation. The cooperation in S&T has started with the joint committee established in 1993, India-Israel cooperation in S&T is overseen by the Joint Committee on S&T, established under the S&T Cooperation Agreement signed in 1993. During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel in 2015, A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in July 2017 to develop India-Israel Industrial R&D. The Department of Science and Technology's Innovation Fund (i4F), Israel's National Authority for Technological Innovation and India's National Authority for Technological Innovation a contract was signed with a contribution of US$ 20 million from the United States, this MoU was signed. Over the course of five years, each party has played a critical role in enabling the other. Joint R&D projects will be undertaken by Indian and Israeli companies. It has more than ten research and development initiatives, including the Apollo-Zebra Early identification of cancer using Artificial Intelligence.

Along with the tourism and people to people connect is also a great achievement of this relationship which primarily seen as a security partnership. Approximately 900 Indian students, especially at the PhD and post-doctoral levels, are studying in Israel. Israel has been awarding post-doctoral scholarships to Indian students in a variety of subjects since 2012. Short-term summer scholarships are also available from the Israeli government for Indian students. Every year, India awards ICCR scholarships to Israeli students for a variety of courses in Indian colleges. Several Indian-related courses are offered at Israeli universities. It has been 30 years since India and Israel began formal diplomatic relations. Since Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to travel Israel in 70 years, bilateral relationship become strategically essential for each other after his visit in 2017. India and Israel now collaborate in areas such as defense, health and medical, culture, agriculture, and so on. Given that Israel is the most developed nation in West Asia and India is the strongest country in South Asia, closer relationship between the two countries will benefit both countries in combating similar threats like extremism and cyberattacks.

Notes

1.       Indo-Israeli Ties Are Moving Beyond Defence: https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/indo-israeli-ties-are-moving-beyond-defence

2.     India’s National Security Imperatives and Indo-Israeli Strategic Cooperation | Middle East Institute: https://www.mei.edu/publications/indias-national-security-imperatives-and-indo-israeli-strategic-cooperation

3.      Strategic Partnership Between Israel and India: https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/meria/meria598_kumaraswamy.html

4.     Indo-Israeli Relations: Key Security Implications | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/indo-israeli-relations-key-security-implications

5.     India, Israel to enhance agriculture, S&T, security cooperation - The Economic Times: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/india-israel-to-enhance-agriculture-st-security-cooperation/articleshow/62507688.cms?from=mdr

6.     India Israel News: View: India and Israel mean business, in many new sectors - The Economic Times: https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/view-india-and-israel-mean-business-in-many-new-sectors/articleshow/89540411.cms

7.     India-Israel Ties: New Opportunities in the Middle East – The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/india-israel-ties-new-opportunities-in-the-middle-east/

8.     Indo-Israeli Security Cooperation: Onward and Upward: https://besacenter.org/india-israel-security-cooperation/

9.     India and Israel sign agreement to expand cooperation in cyber security - The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-and-israel-sign-agreement-to-expand-cooperation-in-cyber-security/article32102730.ece

Pic Courtesy-Taylor Brandon at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)