India and Israel: Cultural Ties, Shared Civilisational Resilience and Historical Memory
Article by Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel is frequently interpreted through the prism of contemporary geopolitics, defence cooperation, strategic alignment, and technological collaboration. Yet beneath these visible dimensions lies a far deeper and more enduring bond: a civilisational connection shaped by memory, resilience, and a shared determination to preserve identity against formidable odds. The India-Israel relationship is not only strategic; it is profoundly historical and cultural.
Both India and Israel trace their civilisational origins back several millennia. India’s ancient civilisation took shape along the Indus Valley and later flourished across the Gangetic plains, while Israel’s historical consciousness is inseparably linked to ancient Judea and Jerusalem. What sets both societies apart is not merely their antiquity, but their extraordinary continuity across time.
Despite repeated invasions, foreign domination, and constantly shifting political landscapes, both nations succeeded in safeguarding their essential civilisational markers, language, faith traditions, rituals, and collective memory. Sanskrit and Hebrew, sacred texts, oral traditions, and revered geographies survived centuries of upheaval. This unbroken continuity instils in both societies a powerful sense of historical responsibility, where the past is not a distant inheritance but a living force shaping contemporary national identity.
A striking parallel between India and Israel lies in their shared memories of displacement and subjugation. Jewish history is deeply marked by exile from the Babylonian captivity to centuries of diaspora across continents. India, too, endured prolonged periods of foreign rule, colonial exploitation, and cultural disruption. In both experiences, identity became something that had to be consciously defended and nurtured. Faith, customs, and community institutions emerged as anchors during times when political sovereignty was absent. This shared historical experience forged a deep civilisational resilience and an understanding that survival is not only territorial or political, but cultural and moral as well. The ability to endure without losing one’s essence became a defining feature of both societies.
Modern Israel and independent India emerged in the mid-twentieth century, carrying the weight of historical trauma alongside renewed hope. Their nationhood was shaped by remembrance of loss and struggle, but also of the immense sacrifices made to reclaim dignity, self-rule, and collective purpose.
Historical memory continues to play a central role in how both nations understand themselves today. India’s civilisational narrative emphasises pluralism, continuity, and synthesis, while Israel’s national ethos draws strength from remembrance, particularly the lessons of persecution and survival. This consciousness influences policy choices, security thinking, and cultural diplomacy, and explains why the India-Israel partnership resonates beyond immediate interests. Both societies value self-reliance, innovation born out of necessity, and the protection of national identity in an uncertain and volatile world.
An often-overlooked dimension of this relationship is the Muslim civilisational connection to both India and Israel. India is home to one of the world’s second-largest Muslim populations, whose history is deeply interwoven with the subcontinent’s culture, arts, scholarship, and freedom struggle. Indian Islam, especially its rich Sufi tradition’s embodies pluralism, coexistence, and spiritual humanism. Likewise, the land of Israel and Palestine holds deep significance in Islamic history. Jerusalem, revered as Al-Quds, is Islam’s third-holiest city, and centuries of Muslim presence in the region enriched its cultural, architectural, and intellectual heritage. Historical examples of Jewish–Muslim coexistence from medieval Spain and the Ottoman world to parts of South Asia offer enduring lessons in shared spaces and mutual respect. India’s engagement with Israel does not diminish its historic ties with the Muslim world or its commitment to the dignity and well-being of Muslims globally. Rather, it reflects India’s broader civilisational approach, one that privileges dialogue over dogma and bridges over binaries. Indian Muslims, shaped by centuries of coexistence, are well placed to contribute to people-to-people understanding and to counter extremist narratives rooted in historical amnesia.
As Prime Minister Modi’s visit underscores, India and Israel are building a future-oriented partnership in technology, innovation, and security. Yet the true strength of this relationship lies in its deeper layers: shared civilisational resilience, respect for historical memory, and the resolve to preserve identity while engaging confidently with the modern world. In an era marked by rapid change and a fragile global order, India and Israel stand as living examples of ancient civilisations that refused to fade. Their partnership is ultimately not just about interests or alliances; it is about memory, survival, and the enduring human quest to remain rooted while moving forward.
