“Every level of the government has the same desire to strengthen ties with India,’’ a top official in the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs said
When listing the commonalities between Israel and India, most Israelis bring up Kashmir. Be it people on the street, academics or politicians, they point at Kashmir to underline how the countries face similar issues of insurgency. On a recent trip to Israel, an official at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza Strip and Israel said, “We have our Gaza Strip, you have your Kashmir.’’
Last fortnight, SonyLiv started streaming Tanaav, a remake of Fauda, the Israeli show that enjoys a massive following in India. Not surprisingly, the setting of Tanaav is Kashmir.
The Kashmir Files, the controversial film that is back in the news after comments on it by an Israeli filmmaker and juror at IFFI, found a release in Israel soon after it came out in India this year. While it was in cinema halls for less than a week, many a commentator at the time in the country underlined how it dealt with issues that were faced by both the countries
Even IFFI, where filmmaker Nadav Lapid’s public criticism of The Kashmir Files sent the Israeli diplomatic establishment into a tizzy, had marked a celebration of Indo-Israel ties, with Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur accompanying Fauda’s lead actor-cum-creator Lior Raz to the festival.
Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that Lapid’s remarks left the Israeli diplomatic establishment red-faced. Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon tweeted a strong letter slamming Lapid, and also hinted that he and his team were facing the heat. “You should see our DM boxes following your ‘bravery’ and what implications it may have on the team under my responsibility,” Gilon wrote.
The two countries are currently celebrating 30 years of their ties – though India recognised Israel in 1950, it gave it full diplomatic recognition only in 1992. The relationship has got stronger under the Narendra Modi government, who took a decisive step to de-hyphenate India’s ties with Israel and Palestine when he became the first-ever Indian PM to visit Israel in July 2017. With Benjamin Netanyahu set to return as PM of Israel at the head of a far-right coalition, the ties will see a further push, with the two leaders enjoying personal rapport.
But through its five governments in the last three years, the Indo-Israeli relationship has remained on the trajectory of growth. India continues to be the largest importer of Israeli defence equipment, making up for 40% of its defence exports. In November 21, in a push for Make in India, India and Israel signed an agreement to develop hi-tech defence armament.