00:00Long ago, in the year 1948, a new nation called Israel was born in the Middle East.
00:05The world watched with curiosity, hope, and also tension.
00:09Far away in South Asia, a young country called India had just gained independence a year earlier in 1947.
00:16Both were new nations, still finding their place in the world.
00:19The early years, quiet distance, 1948 to 1991, in those early years, India looked at the situation carefully.
00:27India supported the idea that the Jewish people deserved a homeland, but it was also deeply concerned about the rights
00:33of the Palestinians.
00:34In 1950, India formally recognized Israel as a state.
00:38Yet, the relationship remained distant and quiet.
00:41India's leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, believed strongly in supporting the Palestinian cause and maintaining solidarity with Arab nations.
00:48Because India depended on oil from the Middle East and had millions of Muslim citizens, the government chose a cautious
00:54path.
00:55Israel opened a small consulate in Mumbai, but full diplomatic relations did not exist.
01:00For decades, the two countries remained like distant neighbors, who knew about each other but rarely spoke openly.
01:06Yet, behind the scenes, there were moments of quiet cooperation.
01:10During the 1962 war with China and later conflicts with Pakistan, Israel discreetly supplied military equipment to India.
01:17It was a friendship that existed mostly in whispers.
01:20A new beginning, 1992.
01:22Everything changed in 1992.
01:25India's Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao decided the time had come to build open relations with Israel.
01:30The Cold War had ended, the Middle East was changing, and India was opening its economy to the world.
01:36So in January 1992, India and Israel established full diplomatic relations.
01:41Embassies were opened in Tel Aviv and New Delhi, and the quiet friendship finally stepped into the sunlight.
01:46Growing partnership, 1990s to 2010s.
01:49From that moment, the relationship grew steadily.
01:52Israel became one of India's most important partners in defense technology, agriculture, and water management.
01:58Israeli scientists helped Indian farmers grow more crops with less water.
02:03Israeli technology strengthened India's security systems.
02:06During the 1999 Kargil War, Israel supplied crucial military equipment to India.
02:11This strengthened trust between the two countries.
02:13Gradually, cooperation expanded into many areas.
02:16Space and satellite technology.
02:18Cyber security.
02:20Innovation and startups.
02:21Agriculture and irrigation.
02:23It was no longer a quiet friendship.
02:25It was becoming a strong strategic partnership.
02:28A historic moment.
02:29Modi's visit, 2017.
02:31Then came a historic moment.
02:33In July 2017, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.
02:39Waiting to receive him warmly was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
02:44The visit symbolized a new chapter.
02:46The two leaders walked together on the beaches of the Mediterranean, spoke about technology and innovation, and signed agreements on
02:53water, agriculture, and defense.
02:55For many observers, this visit showed that the India-Israel relationship had matured into a full strategic partnership.
03:01The friendship today.
03:03Today, India and Israel work together in many fields, defense and security.
03:08Agricultural technology.
03:10Water conservation.
03:11Innovation and startups.
03:13Space cooperation.
03:14The two countries often say their relationship is built on shared democratic values, innovation, and resilience.
03:21The story's gentle ending.
03:22And so, dear listener, the story of India and Israel is like a friendship that began quietly, grew patiently, and
03:30finally blossomed openly.
03:31From cautious distance in 1948 to strong partnership in the 21st century, the two nations have traveled a long road
03:38together.
03:39As the moon rises over the deserts of the Middle East and the plains of India, the story continues.
03:44Two young nations, once strangers, now walking side by side into the future.
