Relations at a Glance – India and Israel

Establishment of Relations 1992[i]
Brief History  India in October 1947 rejected the partition of Palestine and pushed for a federal state plan. India granted de jure recognition to Israel on 17 September 1950[ii] and consular office was opened in Mumbai. In 1952, the Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Walter Eytan’s visit failed to normalise ties with India due to India’s pro-Arab stance. India was the first non-Arab state to vote in favour of Resolution 3379 recognising Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination on 10 November 1975. In 1979, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan met with Prime Minister Morarji Desai. In 1982, Indira Gandhi led government expelled the Israeli consul for questioning India’s pro-Arab foreign policy choices. Under Rajiv Gandhi led government, relations improved and the Israeli consul was re-instated. In 1991, India voted to rescind Resolution 3379 equating Zionism as a form of racism. India finally opened full diplomatic relations with Israel on 29 January 1992[iii] and opened its Embassy in Tel Aviv on 15 May 1992[iv]. After establishment of relations, several high-level visits have occurred including the visit by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2017 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit to India in January 2018.  
National Leaders of India Head of State: Shri Ram Nath Kovind[v] Head of Government: Shri Narendra Modi[vi]
National Leaders of Israel Head of State: H.E.Mr. Reuven Rivlin[vii] Head of Government: H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu [viii]
Key Visits to Israel  (President, VP, PM) President’s Visits: October 13-15, 2015 Prime Minister’s Visits:  July 4-6, 2017
Key Visits to India President’s Visits:   November 14-21, 2016  
Prime Minister’s Visits:   January 14-19, 2018
Main Treaties and Agreements and Dialogues During the period February 2014 to February 2019, 6 Agreements, 1 Work Program in Agriculture, 1 Plan of Corporation in Atomic Clocks, 1 Protocol amending the Convention and the Protocol of Taxation, 1 Cultural Exchange Program, 1 Frame Work For Academic Collaboration, 1 Declaration of Intent in Field of Agriculture, 1 Agriculture Corporation, 1 Treaty on MLAT in criminal matters have been signed   Agreement on cooperation in homeland and public security issue (27/02/2014)
MOUs During the period February 2014 to February 2019, 15 MoUs, 1 Memorandum of Intent and 2 Letters of Intent  have been signed
Working Groups Joint Working Group on Counter-TerrorismJoint Working Group on Border Management Joint Working Group on Internal Security and Public Safety Joint Working Group for Water Resources Management    Joint steering Committees on Homeland and Public SecurityJoint Working Group on DefenceJoint Working Group on Agriculture/Horticulture between Gujarat State Government and Israel [ix]
Bilateral Trade Total Trade 2014-15: 5,617.89 USD Million2015-16: 4,916.51 USD Million2016-17: 5,048.28 USD Million2017-18: 5,430.56 USD Million2018-19 (Till Feb): 5,158.24 USD Million Major Exports: Pearls and precious stonesChemical and mineral productsMachinery and electrical equipment Textile and textile equipment Plastics, rubber, plants and vegetable productsMineral products, rubber and plastic productsBase metals and transport equipment [x] Major Imports: Pearls and precious stonesChemical and mineral productsMachinery and electrical equipmentBase metals, defence, machinery and transport equipment[xi]  
Investments India to Israel: Block 32 (Mediterranean Sea) is an offshore exploration block in Israel spread over 357 Sq. Km. with a water depth of 1500-1800 meters. ONGC Videsh led Indian Consortium (IC) was granted the License 412/“32” dated March 27, 2018 by Petroleum Commissioner for first phase of exploration with a duration of 3 years.  ONGC Videsh is an operator with Participating Interest (PI) of 25% from the Indian Consortium and other partners are Bharat Petro Resources Limited (BPRL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Oil India Limited (OIL) with 25% PI each.[xii]100% acquisition of an Israeli drip-irrigation company, Naandan, by Jain Irrigation. Sun Pharma’s controlling stake in Taro Pharmaceuticals. Sun Pharma signed a research collaboration with Technion for the development of oncology drugs in 2015. A similar agreement was signed with the Weizmann Insititute for the development of drugs for brain diseases. Triveni Engineering Industries’ investment in Israeli waste-water treatment company, Aqwise. TCS started operations in Israel in 2005.The State Bank of India opened a branch in Tel Aviv in 2007In 2015, Infosys acquired an Israeli start up Panaya. Tech Mahindra acquired the R&D arm of Comverse and Leadcom. Wipro invested in TLV partners in 2016. Wipro Infrastructure Engineering acquired an Israeli aero machining company, HR Givon.Tata Industries and Ramot, Tel Aviv University (the University’s technology transfer company) entered (2013) into an MoU to fund and generate commercialisation-ready technologies in a wide range of fields, including engineering, exact sciences, environment and clean technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Under the MoU Tata Industries, with an investment of US$ 5 million, is the lead investor in Ramot’s US$20 million Technology Innovation Momentum Fund. Tata has also invested in a dedicated fund established by Tel Aviv University for Internet of Things technologies.  
Ongoing Negotiations India – Israel FTA negotiation have been on going since 2007
Disputes None
Key Officials Minister of External Affairs India – Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar[xiii]   Minister of External Affairs Israel – Mr.Israel Katz[xiv] Ambassador – India to Israel – Mr. Pavan Kapoor[xv] Shri Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Israel. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.[xvi] Ambassador – Israel  to India – Dr. Ron Malka[xvii] Joint Secretary India – Dr. B. Bala Bhaskar[xviii] Director General Israel – Mr. Yuval Rotem[xix]

Last update : 26 July 2019

[i] http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India_Israel_relations_may2018.pdf

[ii] http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India_Israel_relations_may2018.pdf

[iii] https://embassies.gov.il/delhi/AboutTheEmbassy/India-Israel-Relations/Pages/default.aspx

[iv] https://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India-Israel_Relations.pdf

[v] https://presidentofindia.nic.in

[vi] https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/

[vii] https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Pages/default.aspx

[viii] https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Pages/default.aspx

[ix] http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India_Israel_relations_may2018.pdf

[x] https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/pages?id=nel5a&subid=vbmOe

[xi] https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/pages?id=nel5a&subid=vbmOe

[xii] http://www.ongcvidesh.com/assets/middle-east/#comments

[xiii] https://www.mea.gov.in

[xiv] https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/State/Pages/Israel-Katz.aspx

[xv] https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in

[xvi] https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/31641/Sanjeev_Kumar_Singla_appointed_as_the_next_Ambassador_of_India_to_the_State_of_Israel

[xvii] https://embassies.gov.il/delhi/AboutTheEmbassy/embassy/Pages/Meet%20the%20Ambassador.aspx

[xviii] https://www.mea.gov.in/divisions.htm

[xix] https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Events/Pages/MFA-Director-General-welcomes-US-President-Trump-to-Israel.aspx