Afrasianet - Prior to the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the initiative to announce his quest to form a "six-pronged" alliance in the region, with the membership of Arab countries (he did not mention), India, Greece, Cyprus, and African and Asian countries.
Despite the fact that the alliance is loose and does not amount to a military and binding alliance according to the theory of collective security, its formation and employment deepens regional divisions and polarization within the policy of axes and counter-axes.
The most dangerous pillars of the so-called alliance are the far-right Zionist right and the Hindu right alliance of the Bharatha Janata Party led by Indian Prime Minister Modi's party, and the most extreme occupation government led by Netanyahu.
By demonizing and fighting "radical Islam" – to justify the iron fist and fighting Islam and Muslims from Gaza and Palestine to Kashmir and the Muslim minority in India?
The dismantling of the political, security, and ideological dimensions shows the reasons for the distinctiveness of the Israeli-Indian relationship.
So why should we worry about the relationship between right-wing Zionist extremism and extreme right-wing Hinduism?! The idea of the Indian extreme right dominating the components and groups of Indian society. It adopts a dangerous Hindutva ideology and ideas by promoting the idea of "India is a Hindu state first".
And its intersection with the Zionist ideology – Israel is a Jewish state!! Both extremist doctrines argue, "In India's Muslims, 14 percent of the population, it amounts to about 250 million Muslims—a demographic element that worries the Hindu majority and should be marginalized."
It deals with the only Muslim-majority state of Kashmir with an iron fist and repressive security, replicating the practices of the repressive Zionist model in Gaza and the West Bank. To the sacred alliance between two extremist faiths.
I am reminded of the position of Mahatma Gandhi, who is known for his support for the Palestinians and their rights since 1939 and his assertion that "Palestine is for the Arabs, just as England is for the English, and France is for the French."
He stressed the need for Jews and Arabs to coexist peacefully without the support of "gunspears." India was one of the first non-Arab countries to recognize the State of Palestine on November 18, 1988. The recognition preceded the establishment of relations between India and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974.
India and Israel have been cooperating in various fields of military, technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and over the past two decades, we have witnessed the evolution of relations into a strategic partnership at various levels. Especially with the intersection of the two nationalist ideologies.
In military and security coordination and in the fight against Islamic extremism. Arms deals, engaging in religious conflict, stigmatizing the resistance and liberation from the occupation with terrorism, and systematically violating and suppressing human rights and international law.
This is at odds with Netanyahu's justification that the six-party alliance aims to confront the extremism of Shiite and Sunni Islam in the region by forming an alliance that coordinates and shares security information, expertise, and experiences.
They are populist leaders. This was evident in the warm reception given to Prime Minister Modi by Netanyahu and the Israeli Knesset last week.
Modi became the first Indian prime minister to address the Israeli Knesset. The warm reception of the Knesset members rivaled the reception of President Trump last October, amid warm applause and the presentation of the Knesset Speaker with the highest decoration in appreciation of the relationship with Modi. Especially after Modi praised Israel, stood with it and supported it.
In a complete alignment and alignment, Modi stressed in his speech in the Israeli Knesset that India stood by Israel with full conviction. "Everyone knows that Israel is the land of the fathers, and India is the land of the motherland, and the bonds that bind us together are written in blood and sacrifice."
He expressed India's admiration for "Israel's determination, courage and achievements." (Despite the commission of genocidal war crimes)!! In addition to signing 16 cooperation agreements in various fields.
This contributes to breaking the isolation of Israel and Netanyahu!! It is clear that Netanyahu and Modi are using external conflict to bolster the legitimacy of their regimes at home. In contrast, the Zionist right in Israel sees the Palestinians as a demographic and security threat and rejects egalitarian political solutions.
It promotes the idea of a "Jewish nation-state" and shares a structural similarity between Hindu extremism and Zionist extremism with the slogan "Fighting terrorism and Islamic extremism."
Therefore, it is easy to accept collective punishment, demonize Islam and Muslims and practice collective oppression of Muslims in Kashmir. India's abolition of the autonomy enjoyed by the state of Kashmir, and the systematic and unprecedented repression of the Muslim majority in the war of extermination of Israel since October 2023 – on Gaza and the West Bank – and before that, the policy of restriction and blockade, settlement and Judaization.
Netanyahu, who is in crisis at home, finds in Modi a non-Western international partner who breaks his political isolation. In Israel, Modi finds a model of a security-technological state that can be replicated in the Indian context and the occupation to apply in Kashmir.
India and Israel cooperate in various fields of military, technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Israel is the third source of arms deals to India.
India is not content with Israeli arms deals, but also asks for the transfer of knowledge and the localization of joint manufacturing. This consolidates the long-term strategic relationship.
The volume of annual trade between India and Israel has therefore risen to about $8 billion, with work to increase it to $10 billion in the future.
India being the fourth largest global economy, and the first country in terms of population, and for the personal and strategic relationship and participation in the fight against the common enemy "Islamic extremism" from Palestine to Kashmir!!
Professor in the Department of Political Science, Kuwait University
