India’s recent elections delivered a decisive victory to the sitting prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his BJP party. Noting Modi’s consistent commitment to bettering relations between Jerusalem and New Delhi, Vijeta Uniyal comments on what this portends for the Jewish state:
Though some [of the improvements in the relationship between the two countries] have taken place gradually since the early 1990s and can equally be credited to the previous Israeli and Indian governments, bilateral ties today bear Modi’s distinct signature. In keeping with his policy of forging a strong bond with the Indian diaspora worldwide, India’s government has made specials effort in reaching out to the nearly 85,000 Jews of Indian origin living in Israel. During his July 2017 visit to the Jewish state, Modi addressed a gathering of 8,000 Indian Jews and Indian nationals. No modern Indian leader before Modi has managed to galvanize the Indian diaspora in such large numbers. . . .
Unlike his predecessors, Modi’s foreign policy has been shaped by his personal relationships with world leaders. If he has been warm toward Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Vladimir Putin, his dealings with the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau can fairly be described as frosty. Therefore, much will rest on the personal rapport between him and the next Israeli premier. . . .
[In the meantime], the media’s speculations over possible hostilities from India’s large Muslim population over Modi’s diplomatic “pivot” toward Israel have largely been unfounded. Beating predictions, he doubled his share of the Muslim vote in the recent election, increasing it from 4 percent in 2014 to 9 percent this election cycle. The Arab countries as well haven’t shown any inclination toward punishing India for building stronger ties with the Jewish state. These factors, combined with an increased mandate, give Modi even greater leverage in cementing diplomatic ties with Israel than he had in his previous term.
Read more on JNS: https://www.jns.org/opinion/what-modis-re-election-in-india-means-for-israel/