Athens, Aug 8 (IANS) India-Israel defence ties have evolved beyond a robust bilateral partnership into a broader, interest-driven strategic architecture linking geographically distant but complementary partners. While political will and regional dynamics will determine whether it becomes a formal grouping or remains a flexible network, the trajectory is already clear, a report has stated.
The partnership extends beyond defence, intersecting with initiatives such as the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which seeks to strengthen connectivity in trade, energy, digital infrastructure and supply chains. Shared concerns over Iran’s regional activities, threats to maritime routes and the need to build greater resilience have further deepened these ties, according to a report in the ‘Greek City Times’.
It noted that Greece and Cyprus stand to benefit significantly from the arrangement. It added that deeper integration brings stronger deterrence, greater access to advanced capabilities, enhanced interoperability, and a more prominent role as strategic bridges across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. For Israel and India, it widens diplomatic and operational options as geopolitical competition intensifies.
“The defence relationship between Israel and India is often framed simply as a buyer-seller dynamic, with Israel supplying advanced systems to one of the world’s largest arms importers. A closer look reveals a far more ambitious picture: a deepening strategic partnership that Israeli officials are actively seeking to extend westward, linking the Indo-Pacific with the Eastern Mediterranean through Greece and Cyprus,” the report detailed.
According to the report, Amir Baram, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defence, has emerged as the driving force behind the stronger partnership with India. Regarded as the chief architect of Israel’s defence relationship with India, he visited New Delhi in June 2026 with an official delegation and held high-level talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Defence Secretary, the Chief of Defence Staff, and other top Indian officials.
The talks focused on deepening bilateral defence and industrial ties by moving beyond traditional arms transfers toward joint development, technology sharing, and sustained strategic cooperation, the report stated.
It highlighted that Baram has clearly articulated this wider strategic vision. Addressing the Herzliya Conference in Israel, he said that recent conflicts have fostered a common strategic outlook among like-minded nations. He advocated the creation of a new regional security framework extending “from India, through the United Arab Emirates, to Greece and Cyprus.”
According to Baram, such an arrangement would complement—rather than replace—Israel’s longstanding alliance with the United States by deepening cooperation across the military, economic, technological, and industrial spheres.
“The logic is straightforward. Israel brings combat-proven defence technology, missile-defence expertise, and cyber capabilities. India contributes growing naval reach across the Indian Ocean, an expanding defence industry, and significant geopolitical weight. The UAE offers financial resources, logistics infrastructure, and diplomatic connectivity. Greece provides a NATO foothold in the southeastern Mediterranean, control of key maritime approaches, and deepening partnerships with the United States, France, and Israel. Cyprus sits at a critical crossroads between Europe, the Levant, and major shipping lanes,” the Greek City Times stated.
–IANS
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