by AZAD ESSA
In a flash, the aura of invincibility was shattered.
Images of Israeli commandos and soldiers being seized and taken hostage; of Hamas fighters paragliding over the all-domineering Israeli fence surrounding Gaza; of Israelis at a desert concert fleeing from oncoming Palestinian fighters; of Palestinians venturing into their families’ villages and towns for the first time since 1948 – all of this has left a trail of shock and awe in its wake.
The talking heads are all out, deliberating, debating, and speculating. But one thing is certain: the script has flipped.
And as the world tries to make sense of the weekend’s events, including the extent of the security breach and the situation on the ground, Hindu nationalists in India have embarked on an online campaign of their own: a robust show of support for Israel.
But first, just hours after Hamas launched its attack on the settler regime, Narendra Modi’s government issued an advisory for Indians in Israel.
And before most western leaders had even had their breakfast, Modi issued a statement expressing shock over the “terrorist attacks in Israel”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families,” he wrote on X. “We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”
Unhinged reactions
Not only did Modi’s reaction break with the country’s long-standing public position on Israel and Palestine, in which it has presented a decorum of neutrality, it also represented a departure from the rest of the Global South.
Modi’s erasure of Palestinians and unequivocal support for Israel was immediately replicated by several leaders, members and supporters of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The reactions ranged from vicious and nonsensical, to unhinged.
A former colonel in the Indian army, now an award-winning chief operating officer of a renewable energy firm, called on Israel to show Hamas “no mercy: no pity: no remorse”.
A BJP member of the legislative assembly in the state of Karnataka casually noted that India “may face the situation that Israel is confronting today if we don’t stand up against Politically motivated Radicalism”, writing on X: “All these Hamas, Lashkar and ISI are from the same ‘Thought’ … They are Terrorists. The world should stand in #SolidarityWithIsrael.” His post was referencing the Pakistani armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
Some shared a video accusing Hamas fighters of beheading Israelis, with one noting: “They’re not humans, their faith makes them worse than animals … So-called ‘secular-liberals’ are supporting these p!gs?”
The video was later found to be from Syria in 2016. The video is still up on X, racking up more than two million views.
Others felt inclined to equate the Palestinian resistance with the rise of militancy against Indian occupation in Kashmir in 1990, invoking the debunked Hindu right-wing theory that Hindus suffered a genocide in Kashmir.
Still others shared an illustration of Modi holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hand reassuringly as they walked towards fiery clouds ahead, or other images to express solidarity with Israel.
‘India is with Israel’
The flood of support and the helpful disinformation campaign didn’t go unnoticed. The effort was so effective in the narrative war playing out online that the official X page for the state of Israel shared a screen grab of “India is with Israel” trending on the social app, and thanked India for its generous support.
On Sunday, Naor Gilon, Israel’s ambassador to New Delhi, said he was buoyed by the enthusiasm to help Israel, which saw several Indians come forward to volunteer for the war effort (although he added that Israel didn’t need others to fight its fight).
Of course, the hysterical show of support from India towards Israel is not new.
Thousands of right-wing Indians on social media have long expressed support for Israel, most notably during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in May 2021, which killed more than 250 Palestinians, including more than 60 children, and injured thousands more. At the time, hashtags such as #ISupportIsrael, #IndiaWithIsrael, #IndiaStandsWithIsrael, #IsraelUnderFire and #PalestineTerrorists, trended on Indian social media.
Ever since India normalised ties with Israel in 1992, military relations between Tel Aviv and New Delhi have comprised the bedrock of the relationship. After 9/11, security ties deepened further, with India purchasing around $1bn worth of arms from Israel annually.
But it has been under Modi that India’s transformation from reluctant friend of Israel to close ally became complete. When Modi became prime minister in 2014, on the mandate of turning India into a Hindu nationalist state, he looked to Netanyahu as a leader to emulate: an unashamed head of a militaristic, ethno-nationalist state.
Economic interests
In 2017, Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, in a visit that saw the two nations establish a strategic partnership, working closely on cyber security, weapons manufacturing, agriculture and water management. Between 2015 and 2019, Israeli exports to India increased by 175 percent, making India the biggest purchaser of Israeli weapons.
Under the auspices of the recently established West Asia quad (comprising India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States), India has become fundamental in helping to integrate Israel within the Middle East, as well as aiding Washington as it challenges China in the region.
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