Indian Public Opinion on Israel

1947 to 1991: Recognition Without Relations

India voted against the United Nations plan to partition Palestine in November 1947. Three years later, India announced its recognition of Israel on September 17, 1950, but recognition did not bring embassies. Embassies opened only in 1992, when full diplomatic relations were established [1]. For four decades the relationship existed mostly out of public view.

Several pressures shaped this distance. The first was India's place in the Non-Aligned Movement. The second was its reliance on Gulf states for oil and for jobs for Indian workers. The third was its contest with Pakistan for support in Arab capitals. The fourth was the anti-colonial outlook of the Congress party, which governed India for most of this period. India recognised the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974 and the State of Palestine in 1988.

Public opinion from these years is poorly recorded. No nationally representative Indian survey on Israel from before 1992 has been found in an accessible archive. The record of this period is therefore a record of government policy, not of measured public feeling. That gap matters, because later claims about a "shift" in Indian opinion compare modern polling with a starting point that was never measured. What can be stated is that official distance in this era came from the policy choices of the governing party rather than from any documented public hostility toward Israel.

1992 to 2013: Normalisation and the First Measurement

Full diplomatic relations began in January 1992, under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao of the Congress party. Trade grew quickly from a small base. Since diplomatic relations began in 1992, trade and economic ties between the two countries have grown rapidly [1]. Ministerial visits became routine, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited India in September 2003 [1], the first visit by a serving Israeli prime minister.

The first large survey to include India came in 2009. Israel's Foreign Ministry commissioned an international market research company to study the country's standing in 13 countries, with 5,215 participants. The study found that 58 percent of Indian respondents expressed sympathy for Israel, ahead of 56 percent in the United States [2]. Russia and Mexico each stood at 52 percent and China at 50 percent, while Britain, France and Spain ranked lowest at 34, 27 and 23 percent [2]. Respondents graded their sympathy on a scale of 1 to 10 [2].

Three limits apply to this figure. The study was commissioned by the Israeli government. Its full methodology has not been published. It measured "sympathy," which is a different question from the favourable and unfavourable ratings that Pew later used. The 58 percent figure is therefore a single reported result from one producing body. It shows that warmth toward Israel already existed in India well before the BJP returned to power in 2014, but it cannot be compared directly with later surveys.

2014 to September 2023: An Open Partnership

After 2014 the relationship moved from quiet cooperation to open public partnership. In July 2017 Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, and the two countries described their ties as a strategic partnership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a return visit to India in January 2018 [1]. Neither visit drew large protests in India. The visits also confirmed that close ties with Israel were compatible with good relations with Gulf states, a concern that had shaped policy before 1992.

Warmth was mutual and measurable on the Israeli side. Pew Research Center's tracking shows that 71 percent of Israelis viewed India favourably in 2023, and 60 percent did so in both 2025 and 2026 [16]. In 2023 that placed India first among all countries Israelis were asked about.

Indian opinion of Israel was not measured by a major international pollster during these years. Sympathy for Israel could be seen in Indian social media and commentary, especially after attacks on Indian civilians by groups based in Pakistan. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which included an assault on the Chabad House Jewish centre, created a direct shared experience of terrorism for the two peoples. That shared experience became a common theme in Indian discussion of Israel, and it set the frame through which many Indians would read the events of October 2023.

October 2023 to December 2024: Opinion and Policy Under the Strain of War

Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Prime Minister Modi responded on social media the same day: "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour" [3]. On 12 October the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India saw the attack as a terrorist attack, while restating India's long-standing position in favour of a negotiated Palestinian state [4].

Indian opinion polling from this month showed clear support for Israel. A CVoter survey, conducted around 18 October 2023 and published in India Today, found that 48 percent of respondents favoured Israel and about a quarter favoured the Palestinians. Half supported the bombing of Hamas targets in Gaza, and one-third opposed it. More than four in ten said India should completely support Israel, and fewer than two in ten said India should completely support Palestine [5]. The published reports do not give the sample size.

At the United Nations, India balanced this sentiment with its traditional policy. On 27 October the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce by 121 votes to 14, with 44 abstentions [6]. India abstained because the text did not explicitly condemn the Hamas attacks of 7 October, and it voted for a Canadian amendment that would have added that condemnation [7]. On 12 December 2023 India voted in favour of a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages [8]. By December 2024 the government reported that of 13 General Assembly resolutions on Palestine since the conflict began, India had voted for 10 and abstained on 3 [9].

Party Positions, 2023 to 2026

The BJP government has made closeness to Israel a public commitment. On 25 February 2026 Modi became the first Indian leader to address the Knesset. He said that India stands with Israel "firmly, with full conviction in this moment and beyond", and received a standing ovation [11]. The next day, the two prime ministers raised the relationship to "A Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation & Prosperity" [12]. The government continues to state support for a two-state solution alongside these commitments [9].

The Congress party, the main opposition, holds a different position. On 8 October 2023 the party condemned the attacks on Israelis. The next day its Working Committee passed a resolution supporting the rights of Palestinians to land, self-government and dignity, and called for an immediate ceasefire [10]. Its criticism sharpened during the 2026 visit. General secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of "moral cowardice" for embracing Netanyahu. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said she hoped Modi would raise what she called genocide in Gaza in his Knesset speech [13].

The divide is therefore not about whether India should have relations with Israel. Both parties have supported diplomatic ties since 1992, and a Congress government established them. The divide is about tone, public alignment, and how much weight to give Palestinian claims in public statements. The governing party treats Israel as a partner against terrorism. The opposition presents itself as the keeper of India's older pro-Palestinian tradition.

2025 to 2026: What the Most Recent Polling Shows

The most reliable recent data come from Pew Research Center. Its 2025 survey, conducted face to face in India between 8 January and 26 April 2025, found that views of Israel in India were fairly divided, with 34 percent favourable and 29 percent unfavourable [14]. Pew's 2026 survey covered 44,657 people in 36 countries, interviewed from 8 February to 13 May 2026, and most interviews took place after the United States and Israel began a military campaign in Iran on 28 February [15]. Across those countries, a median of 67 percent of adults viewed Israel unfavourably and 25 percent favourably [15].

India stood apart from that median. Pew's 2026 table shows 32 percent of Indians favourable and 28 percent unfavourable, with 12 percent very favourable and 17 percent very unfavourable [15]. Only Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and India had more favourable than unfavourable views, and India was the only such country in the Asia-Pacific region [15]. The contrast with India's neighbours is large: Pew recorded 95 percent unfavourable views in Pakistan and 79 percent in Bangladesh [15]. Confidence in Netanyahu was also net positive in India, at 34 percent confident and 28 percent not confident [15].

One limit must be stated. By subtraction from Pew's table, about 40 percent of Indian respondents gave no answer on Israel in 2026. India's net positive rating rests on a smaller engaged share of the population than in Europe or the United States. The warmth is real but not universal.

The sentiment is returned. Sixty percent of Israelis viewed India favourably in 2026, including 68 percent of Israelis on the political right and 46 percent on the left [16].

In One Paragraph

Indians are among the most favourable publics toward Israel anywhere, although many hold no view. Pew Research Center found 32 percent of Indian adults favourable and 28 percent unfavourable in 2026, one of only four net-positive results among 36 countries and the only one in the Asia-Pacific region. A 2009 study for Israel's Foreign Ministry found 58 percent sympathy, the highest of 13 countries. India recognised Israel in 1950, opened full relations in January 1992, and under the BJP moved to open partnership. That partnership was marked by Modi's 2017 visit, his February 2026 Knesset address and a new Special Strategic Partnership. The Congress party supports relations with Israel but emphasises Palestinian rights and criticises the government's public alignment.

Sources

1. India, Ministry of External Affairs. "India-Israel Bilateral Relations." Bilateral brief, February 2026. "Overview of political relations," paras. 1 to 4, and "Economic and Commercial relations," para. 17.https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Israel_February_2026_1_.pdf.
2. Eichner, Itamar. "From India with Love: Study on Behalf of Foreign Ministry Ranks India, US as Most Pro-Israel Countries." Ynetnews, April 2009.https://www.ynetnews.com/article/3696887.
3. "India Manages Delicate Balance as Modi Tilts Towards Israel." Newsweek, November 2023.https://www.newsweek.com/india-manages-delicate-balance-modi-tilts-towards-israel-1842722.
4. India, Ministry of External Affairs. "Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (October 12, 2023)." <https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings?dtl/37187/Transcript_of_Weekly_Media_Briefing_by_the_Official_Spokesperson_October_12_2023>
5. <https://www.indiatoday.in/opinion/story/opinion-cvoter-survey-reveals-israel-tilt-polarised-domestic-politics-after-hamas-attacks-2450955-2023-10-19>
6. United Nations. "General Assembly Adopts Resolution Calling for Immediate, Sustained Humanitarian Truce Leading to Cessation of Hostilities between Israel, Hamas." Press release GA/12548, October 27, 2023.https://press.un.org/en/2023/ga12548.doc.htm.
7. "India Abstains on UNGA Resolution Calling for Humanitarian Truce in Israel-Hamas Conflict." Deccan Herald, October 28, 2023.https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/india%2Findia-abstains-on-unga-resolution-calling-for-humanitarian-truce-in-israel-hamas-conflict-2745866.
8. Press Trust of India. "India Votes in Favour of UNGA Resolution Demanding Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza." South First, December 13, 2023.https://thesouthfirst.com/pti/india-votes-in-favour-of-unga-resolution-demanding-ceasefire-in-gaza/.
9. All India Radio News. "India Reaffirms Support for Two-State Solution in Palestine-Israel Conflict." December 13, 2024. Reporting the written reply of Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-reaffirms-support-for-two-state-solution-in-palestine-israel-conflict/.
10. Press Trust of India. "Congress Working Committee Reiterates Support for Rights of Palestinians to Land, Self-Govt." ThePrint, October 9, 2023.https://theprint.in/india/congress-working-committee-reiterates-support-for-rights-of-palestinians-to-land-self-govt/1797196/.
11. All India Radio News. "PM Modi Holds Talks with His Israeli Counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv." February 25, 2026.https://www.newsonair.gov.in/pm-modi-holds-talks-with-his-israeli-counterpart-benjamin-netanyahu-in-tel-aviv..
12. India, Prime Minister's Office. "India-Israel Joint Statement." February 26, 2026. Para. 2.https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/india-israel-joint-statement/.
13. "PM Modi Displaying 'Moral Cowardice' When World Is Critical of Netanyahu: Congress." Deccan Herald, February 25, 2026.https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/india/pm-modi-displaying-moral-cowardice-when-world-is-critical-of-netanyahu-congress-3910897.
14. Silver, Laura. "Most People across 24 Surveyed Countries Have Negative Views of Israel and Netanyahu." Pew Research Center, June 3, 2025. Section "International views of Israel."https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/06/03/most-people-across-24-surveyed-countries-have-negative-views-of-israel-and-netanyahu/.
15. Silver, Laura, and Laura Clancy. "Most People across 36 Countries Have Negative Views of Israel and Little Confidence in Netanyahu." Pew Research Center, June 4, 2026. Tables "Large majorities in most countries have negative views of Israel" and "Majorities in most countries surveyed lack confidence in Netanyahu."https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/06/04/most-people-across-36-countries-have-negative-views-of-israel-and-little-confidence-in-netanyahu/.
16. Pew Research Center. "Public Opinion of India Is Mixed across 36 Countries." August 13, 2026. Sections "How have international views of India changed over time?" and "How do views of India vary by ideology?"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/08/13/public-opinion-of-india-is-mixed-across-36-countries/.