‘Pahalgam & Oct 7: India, Israel in the same fight’

medium121036365In Israel, there’s a well-known saying: He who does not fight terrorism and strike it down, will eventually be struck by it. Like Israel, India has suffered deadly terrorist attacks over the years. Many Indian civilians have paid with their blood and lives as terrorism raised its head time and again. Indian leaders understand well the need to confront the ideological appetite of radical Islam, which seeks not to integrate — but to dominate.India’s decision to act forcefully against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, resonates strongly with many Israelis. It reminds them of their own military operations across West Asia over the past two decades — and especially since the Oct 7 massacre.The intense Israeli military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and even Iran reflect the learning of a painful truth: Without bold offensive action, terror hubs will grow freely and relentlessly prepare the ground for the next Jewish massacre. The question is no longer if, but when.The fight against terrorism stands as a central pillar of both India’s and Israel’s national security policies. As vibrant democracies operating in hostile geopolitical environments, both nations face asymmetric threats driven by radical Islamist ideologies that are backed by state sponsors of terror.While their regional contexts differ — West Asia and the Indian subcontinent – the similarities in their challenges and strategic outlook are striking.India faces a long, mountainous and porous border with Pakistan, from which jihadist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed receive direct and indirect support. Israel, meanwhile, battles terror from Gaza, the West Bank, and the northern border, with Iran backing Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. In both cases, these terror groups serve as the deadly tentacles of a broader enemy — Iran in Israel’s case, Pakistan in India’s.Israelis, who once pursued peace accords with the Palestinians, in the early 1990s, have paid dearly for those hopes. Because groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and for decades Hezbollah, have challenged Israel’s very right to exist.Following the wave of suicide bombings in the early 2000s, Israelis turned inward, focusing on prosperity, the economy, and a fragile status quo. But while Israeli society enjoyed a period of relative calm, terrorists and their sponsors did not rest — they rearmed and planned.Sometimes, as Israeli history shows, only a major, dramatic military operation can change the equation. In the aftermath of Pahalgam, the open secret of defence and intelligence cooperation between Israel and India is more relevant than ever. The experience Israel’s security services gained in decades of fighting Islamist terror is already benefitting India in its battle against extremist groups and their state sponsors.How do recent events underscore the closeness of the India-Israel alliance? The brutal massacre in Pahalgam, in which Hindu civilians were murdered for their faith, resonates deeply in Israel — not only because of the shared experience of religious hatred, but because the ideological motives behind the terror groups that the two countries confront are so similar. A sense of brotherhood is emerging between the nations, based on a shared truth: This is not merely a govt-level war but a civilisational battle between free societies and murderous fanaticism.It must also be underlined that alarming reports of Hamas activity in Pakistan signal a troubling new axis of cooperation among terror organisations. In response, this may well lead to deeper intelligence and military collaboration between Jerusalem and New Delhi — even in theatres far beyond their own borders.Some commentators explain this convergence as merely the product of right-wing leadership in both countries. However, it stems from something more profound: A strategic necessity. Both Israel and India stand at the frontline of the international war against radical Islamist terrorism — and neither intends to surrender. Not militarily. Not ideologically. And not morally.Somfalvi is a strategic adviser & Birvadker a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and SecurityTOI+ complete coverage of Operation Sindoor here