Why Modi Is Moving India Closer to Israel — Reshaping West Asia
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to Israel — and the first since the Israel-Gaza war — signals a deepening of a partnership increasingly centered on defense, technology and shared strategic concerns. From jointly produced Barak-8 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to drones and precision weapons, Israeli capabilities are playing a critical role in India’s deterrence posture against Pakistan and along its contested border with China. Both sides are also advancing broader initiatives such as I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE and the US, also known as the “Western Quad”) and the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC), linking security cooperation with economic strategy. In this episode, we examine the drivers behind India–Israel convergence and what this growing partnership means for the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. *Recorded on January 27, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Our guests: Sana Hashmi - Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Fellow Guermantes Lailari - Jewish Policy Center Senior Non-Resident Fellow
