India’s ‘Israel habit’ meets West Asian realities
The article analyzes India's foreign policy shift, suggesting that its deepening partnership with Israel may be driven more by habit than by current strategic realities in West Asia. It notes that recent geopolitical changes in the region challenge the effectiveness of India's existing diplomatic approach.
Why it matters
It provides a critical perspective on India's evolving role in Middle Eastern geopolitics amidst rising regional tensions.
When leaders make foreign policy decisions, each may appear reasonable in isolation. However, their cumulative impact can be strikingly different from what was originally intended. As Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, India’s deepening engagement with Israel perhaps falls into that category. What was once a mutually beneficial partnership between New Delhi and Tel Aviv seems to have become more of a habit than the product of serious strategic deliberation. Yet, sound policy cannot be guided by the momentum of habit, for habit and strategy often pull in opposite directions.
The analysis critiques established government policy and suggests a need for a strategic pivot, which is a common feature of analytical foreign policy commentary.
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