In line with India’s unprecedented support for Israel in the Gaza war, the Indian Embassy in Israel received this Sunday the dead bodies of four Indian soldiers, including one military commander, who fought and died for Israel.
Since the bloody war in Gaza broke out back on October 7, many countries across the world as well as dozens of international organizations have expressed support for Palestine and condemned Israel for killing so many innocent Palestinian men, women, and children.
However, a handful of countries such as the United States, and a few European states have taken the side of Israel and sent military and financial aids to Tel Aviv. But among the supporters of Israel, India stands out, as the country has been a full supporter of Israel and even sent troops to help the Jewish military to fight Palestinian people.
According to Indian media, the country’s embassy in Israel received this Sunday the dead bodies of four Indian soldiers, including one Indian military commander, who fought and died in support for Israel. Videos circulating in social media also show a number of Indians gathering in front of the Israeli embassy in India, demanding to join the Israeli army and fight against the Palestinians.
Why does India love Israel so much?!
Since Indian far-right politician Narendra Modi came to power in India as Prime Minister back in May 2014, he has never concealed his interest in Israel. This is a drastically different stance compared to his predecessors such as India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the influential Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi who always expressed support for Palestine as well as their opposition to the creation of an Israeli state, fearing it would disfranchise Palestinians.
India was in fact the first non-Arab country in the world to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the legitimate representative of Palestine in the 1970s, and in 1983, it gave the group full diplomatic status. Modi, however, has been quite the opposite. In 2017, he became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, which was reciprocated months later when Netanyahu travelled to Delhi.
Back then, Azad Essa, a journalist and author of Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel, referred to this unprecedented visit and said: “The narrative they were pushing was clear: that India and Israel are these ancient civilizations that had been derailed by outsiders – which means Muslims – and their leaders have come together, like long-lost brothers, to fulfil their destiny.”
India’s firm support for Israel in Gaza war
India was among the first countries to support Israel in its war with Hamas. Less than a day after Hamas launched attacks against Israel on October 7, India’s prime minister issued a strongly worded statement and described what Hamas did as the “terrorist attacks”, adding that India “stands in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour”. India was also among the few countries that did not support a UN resolution for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaz back in November.
last week, Modi also had a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and once again, expressed his countries full support for Tel Aviv. “I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Modi said in a tweet following the phone call.
