India–Israel Special Strategic Partnership

 

1. India formally recognised Israel as a sovereign state on 17 September 1950, while full diplomatic relations were established in January 1992.

2. India voted against the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, opposing the creation of states based on religion.

3. During the 1965 and 1971 wars, Israel provided India with discreet military assistance despite the absence of full diplomatic relations.

4. Israel supplied India with critical laser-guided missiles and ammunition during the 1999 Kargil War.

5. Since 2014, India has followed a “De-hyphenation Policy”, treating its relations with Israel and Palestine independently.

6. In February 2026, India and Israel elevated their bilateral ties to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity.

7. Israel is consistently among India’s top three defence suppliers, providing systems such as Phalcon AWACS, Heron drones, and SPICE precision-guided bombs.

8. India and Israel jointly developed the Barak-8 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework.

9. The India-Israel Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) came into force in July 2026, replacing the 1996 investment treaty.

10. India-Israel cooperation is a key pillar of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), with India’s acquisition of Haifa Port strengthening connectivity.

11. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has been integrated with Israel’s MASAV payment system to facilitate faster cross-border payments.

12. The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F) supports joint research in Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, fintech, and advanced technologies.

13. More than 43 Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence (CoEs) have been established across India to promote advanced agriculture, drip irrigation, and horticulture.

14. India and Israel cooperate extensively in water management through projects involving desalination, wastewater recycling, and efficient water conservation technologies.

15. Under bilateral labour agreements, Israel plans to recruit about 50,000 additional Indian workers over five years in sectors such as construction, healthcare, and engineering.

 

Must Know Terms :

1. De-hyphenation Policy: India follows a policy of treating its relations with Israel and Palestine independently. Since 2014, this approach has allowed India to deepen strategic ties with Israel while continuing support for a negotiated Two-State Solution.

 

2. Special Strategic Partnership: In February 2026, India and Israel elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity, covering defence, technology, trade, agriculture, water, and innovation.

 

3. Barak-8 Missile System: Barak-8 is a Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system jointly developed by India and Israel. It reflects the shift from a buyer-seller defence relationship to joint production under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

 

4. India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): IMEC is a strategic connectivity corridor linking India with West Asia and Europe. India-Israel cooperation is important for this corridor, especially due to Israel’s Haifa Port.

 

5. Haifa Port: Haifa Port is a strategically important Israeli port acquired by an Indian private infrastructure group. It strengthens India’s connectivity interests in the Mediterranean and supports India-Israel economic cooperation.

 

6. Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence (CoEs): More than 43 Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence operate across India. They promote advanced farming practices such as drip irrigation, protected cultivation, canopy management, and high-value horticulture.

MCQ :

1. With reference to India–Israel relations, consider the following statements:

1. India formally recognised Israel as a sovereign state in 1950.
2. Full diplomatic relations between India and Israel were established in 1992.
3. India voted in favour of the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

2. Assertion (A): India follows a De-hyphenation Policy in its relations with Israel and Palestine.

Reason (R): India treats its bilateral relations with Israel independently from its engagement with Palestine.

A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

3. Which of the following events significantly strengthened India–Israel defence cooperation?

A. Balakot Air Strike
B. Kargil War (1999)
C. Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests
D. Doklam Standoff

4. Match List-I with List-II:

List-I List-II

A. Phalcon 1. Precision-guided bomb
B. Heron 2. AWACS
C. SPICE 3. Surveillance drone
D. Barak-8 4. Surface-to-Air Missile

Codes:

A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
B. A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
C. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
D. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4

5. With reference to the Barak-8 Missile System, consider the following statements:

1. It is jointly developed by India and Israel.
2. It is a Surface-to-Air Missile system.
3. It was developed under the framework of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

6. The India–Israel Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA), which replaced the 1996 investment treaty, came into force in:

A. January 2025
B. February 2026
C. July 2026
D. September 2026

7. Which one of the following best describes the significance of Haifa Port for India?

A. It is India’s first overseas naval base.
B. It strengthens India’s connectivity under IMEC.
C. It is India’s largest investment in Africa.
D. It is jointly administered by India and Israel.

8. Consider the following statements regarding the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):

1. It aims to strengthen connectivity between India, West Asia and Europe.
2. Israel plays a key role in the corridor.
3. Haifa Port is strategically important for IMEC.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

9. Match List-I with List-II:

List-I List-II

A. IMEC 1. Connectivity Corridor
B. I4F 2. Industrial R&D Fund
C. MASAV 3. Israeli Payment System
D. UPI 4. India’s Digital Payment System

Codes:

A. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
C. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
D. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

10. Assertion (A): India and Israel cooperate extensively in agriculture.

Reason (R): More than 43 Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence promote advanced farming technologies such as drip irrigation and protected cultivation.

A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

11. Consider the following areas of India–Israel cooperation:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Quantum Computing
3. Fintech

The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F) supports cooperation in:

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

12. Which of the following technologies are associated with India–Israel cooperation in water management?

1. Desalination
2. Wastewater recycling
3. Water conservation

Select the correct answer using the code below:

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

13. Consider the following statements:

1. Israel plans to recruit around 50,000 additional Indian workers over five years.
2. The recruitment mainly targets construction, healthcare, and engineering sectors.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

14. Match List-I with List-II:

List-I List-II

A. De-hyphenation Policy 1. Independent engagement with Israel and Palestine
B. Special Strategic Partnership 2. Elevated bilateral framework (2026)
C. CoEs 3. Advanced agriculture
D. BIA 4. Investment protection framework

Codes:

A. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
C. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
D. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

15. With reference to India–Israel relations, consider the following statements:

1. Israel is among India’s top three defence suppliers.
2. India and Israel cooperate in semiconductors, AI, agriculture, and water management.
3. India’s partnership with Israel has replaced its support for the Two-State Solution.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3