India–Israel relations

India–Israel relations (Hindi: भारत-इज़राइल सम्बन्ध ; Hebrew: יחסי הודו-ישראל‎), or also called Indian-Israeli relations or Indo-Israeli relations, refers to the bilateral relations between India and Israel. The two countries have an extensive economic, military, and strategic relationship.

Quotes

 * The Israeli Consulate in Bombay has published a book about Israel. It says that Jews form different countries came to Israel because they were discriminated against and were persecuted. And the book says that the only exception is India. In the long history of the Jews stay in India, there is not even one incident of discrimination and persecution.
 * , Sri Balasaheb Deoras Answers Questions, Sahitya Sindhu, Bangalore, 1984, p.3


 * In a book published by the Israeli Consulate in Bombay . . . it says that the Jews were ill- treated and subjected to all sorts of humiliations all over the world, the only exception being Bharat and that during their long sojourn in Bharat, there was not even one single instance of their persecution.
 * , RSS: A Force for Social Change, Jagarana Prakashana Kempegowda Nagar, 1981, Bangalore, pp.7-8


 * The entire world acknowledges that Israel has effectively and ruthlessly countered terror in the Middle East. Since India and Israel are both fighting a proxy war against terrorism, therefore, we should learn a lesson or two from them. We need to have close cooperation with them in this field.
 * Ram Madhav, RSS slams Left for opposing Sharon's visit, 10 September 2003.


 * When, in 1991, the Congress formed the Government on its own, even though it did not have a majority of its own, the BJP acted very responsibly and helped it have a speaker of its choice, content with deputy speakership of the Lok Sabha. Having been all along opposed to a licence-permit-quota Raj it welcomed the policy of liberalization in principle. At long last New Delhi recognised Israel and South Africa, something the BJP had urged for long.
 * KR Malkani, BJP History: It’s Growth and Onward March


 * India has only lately established diplomatic relations with Israel, yet the BJS/BJP had long demanded such a step. All the other parties had opposed it, keeping in mind the domestic vote and subservience to the Islamic "ummah." Without being anti-Arab, it is possible to be just toward Israel. After all, Israel has never done anything against India.
 * Saradindu Mukherji, Nationalism Is Cornerstone of BJP's Foreign Policy


 * India represents the new world in a unique sense. Traditionally democracies were trying to bring equality to all walks of life, today there is a change. Democracy wants to enable every country to have the equal right to be different; it's a collection of differences, not an attempt to force or impose equality on every country. I think India is the greatest show of how so many differences in language, in sects can coexist facing great suffering and keeping full freedom... Many of the countries in the Middle East should learn from you how to escape poverty. You didn't escape poverty by getting American dollars or Russian Roubles but by introducing your own internal reforms and by understanding that the new call of modernity is science. In between the spiritual wealth of Gandhi and the earthly wisdom of Nehru, you combined a great performance of spirit and practice to escape poverty...I know you still have a long way to go but you do it without compromising freedom. The temptation when you're such a large country to introduce discipline and imposition is great but you tried to do it, to make progress not with force and discipline but in an open way. Many of us were educated on the literature of India when we fell in love we read Rabindranath Tagore and when we matured we tried to understand Gandhi.
 * Shimon Peres, Israeli President Shimon Peres praises India as greatest 'show of co-existence' (4 December 2012)


 * While most of the Jews came to Israel (from countries other than India) driven by persecution, discrimination, murder and attempts at total genocide, the Jews of India came (to Israel) because of their desire to participate in the building of their Jewish Commonwealth, because of their unshakable belief in the redemption of Israel. Throughout their long sojourn in India, nowhere and at no time were they (Jews) subjected to intolerance, discrimination or persecution.
 * Indian Jews in Israel published by Israel Consulate general, quoted by K. Surya Narayana Rao, The Concept of Hindu Rashtra, in Why Hindu Rashtra.


 * The interaction between the people of India and the Jewish diaspora has a long history, dating back to the 1st century A.D. Two communities of the Jewish people in India even trace their roots to the ten 'lost tribes' of Israel. The story of the Jewish diaspora in India has been uniformly positive. India is one of very few countries in the world, which has never had a trace of anti-Semitism at any time in its history. The people of India were deeply anguished at the holocaust visited upon the Jewish people during the Second World War. If there were any reservations about the Zionist Movement, they were about some of the means adopted by the movement. I believe India and Israel should focus on building bilateral relations on the basis of shared perspectives and commonalities between our two democracies. This has to be a forward- looking exercise, rather than harking back to perceptions of the past. ... We see this first visit to India of a Prime Minister of Israel as a landmark in the history of our bilateral ties. India-Israel relations have acquired a multi-dimensional character, particularly over the last decade. While our defence cooperation is substantial and growing, we have also a lot to share with each other in agricultural sciences, in high technology - including Information Technology, in peaceful applications of space technologies, etc. India has benefited from Israel's world famous expertise in agricultural technologies. India is now Israel's second biggest trade partner in Asia, and the largest item of our trade is actually gems and jewellery. Tourism is another area with great potential, as is culture, since both our countries are host to some of mankind's greatest historic and cultural treasures. I am confident that the visit of Prime Minister Sharon will raise our bilateral relationship to an entirely new level of cooperation.
 * A.B. Vajpayee, Interview of Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee by Ha'Aretz (Israel)


 * Our lands have supported the birth of great and ancient religions and civilisations. Jewish communities in India have, over the centuries, painted rich colours into the mosaic of Indian society.
 * A.B. Vajpayee, Interview of Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee by Ha'Aretz (Israel)