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By strengthening ties with Israel while supporting a two-state solution for Palestine, India shows its ability to balance strategic partnerships with historical principles of diplomacy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 25, 2026. (Image: MEA/PTI)
Al Jazeera, a Qatar-backed influential media platform known for Islamist propaganda, has taken another hit with its biased reporting aimed at discrediting India’s diplomatic engagement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategic visit to Israel. Its coverage is full of factual inaccuracies, misleading claims and attempts to misrepresent India’s policies on Kashmir, Palestine and international relations.
Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel, Al Jazeera published an article titled “Kashmir, espionage, subversion: How Modi’s India adopted the ‘Israel model'”. The timing and content of this article make it clear that the article was designed to defame India’s diplomatic involvement and present the visit in a negative light. The article was published on 24 February 2026, just a day before PM Modi’s scheduled visit to Israel – a fact that speaks volumes about its intent rather than its objectivity.
misleading claims
The Al Jazeera article claimed that India has “openly embraced Israel” and suggested that New Delhi has borrowed “security and administrative approaches” from Israel, pointing to issues such as domestic demolitions, “bulldozer justice” and spyware surveillance in India’s internal security policies. It also highlights select debates on Indian TV that mention Israeli tactics. These claims are misleading and factually incorrect. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and functions under the federal structure. It enjoys legislative powers under the Union Territory structure, and there is no truth in the claim that India is emulating Israel in governance or policy. These claims appear to be inspired more by the timing of Modi’s visit than by reality.
Al Jazeera’s narrative attempts to frame India-Israel relations as an ideological alignment at the expense of India’s historical support for the Palestinian cause. In fact, India has been a consistent supporter of Palestine: it was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974, following Yasser Arafat’s encouragement to engage with Israel, and established formal diplomatic relations in January 1992.
Recently, in 2026, India has reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution, condemned Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and advocated a sovereign, independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. India’s position was also reflected in its vote in the UN General Assembly, which reaffirmed that New Delhi will continue to support Palestinian statehood as well as maintain strong ties with Israel. Indian diplomats, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, have consistently stressed the need for dialogue, diplomacy and humanitarian assistance to resolve the conflict. Today, most Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, provide only lip service to Gaza, while engaging strategically with Washington and Israel.
In contrast, India maintains constructive relations with Arab countries, many of which have recognized Prime Minister Modi’s contributions and felicitated him for strengthening regional ties. Between 2016 and 2025, Modi has been honored with the highest national award by Arab countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. As Al Jazeera claims, if India’s relations with Israel were driven solely by ideological alignment against Muslims, Modi would not have strengthened ties with Arab countries nor received such high regard from them.
baseless ideological allegations
The article cites authors such as Azad Essa and Sumantra Bose, claiming that India-Israel relations under PM Modi are driven by Hindu nationalist ideology and a civilizational view of Muslims as a threat:
Azad Essa said, “India-Israel relations under Modi are a bind between two ideologies that see themselves as civilizational projects and Muslims as demographic and security threats.”
Sumantra Bose said, “The Hindu nationalist belief system is steeped in Zionism and fascination with Israel… The Israeli ideal is reflected in many of the policies and measures of the Modi government.”
These claims are exaggerated and politically motivated. They ignore the fact that Muslims in India have historically held some of the country’s highest positions – including Presidents Dr Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and APJ Abdul Kalam – and continue to enjoy full participation in governance under Modi, with Muslims serving as cabinet ministers, members of parliament and senior judges. In contrast, the condition of Hindus in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh is very bad.
In Bangladesh, more than 2,000 hate crimes against Hindus and other minorities were recorded in 2024 alone, including at least 15 murders within a 45-day period, as well as widespread attacks on property and religious sites. In Pakistan, Hindus face systemic persecution, including forced conversions, kidnappings, attacks on temples and mob violence, with hundreds of documented cases reported in recent years. These realities highlight the insecurities faced by minority communities in those countries, yet they rarely appear in such reporting.
Promotion through misleading comparisons
Al Jazeera has attempted to draw sensational parallels between Kashmir and Gaza, even citing unverified claims about Indian TV discussions. In fact, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral Indian territory, governed under a strong constitutional and legal framework, with functioning administrative structures, rule of law and democratic mechanisms similar to any other state or union territory in the rest of India. Comparing it with Gaza is not only misleading but also serves as propaganda to undermine India’s sovereignty and international image.
The article also sought to strategically exploit India’s internal diversity and historical tensions, writing: “In 1966, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered helicopter gunships to bomb parts of the north-eastern state of Mizoram to suppress a rebel movement. Other regions, particularly India’s far south, have long been concerned that the Hindi-speaking North was trying to dominate them culturally – “This has led to sporadic fights.”
While India, like any federal democracy, faces political and cultural challenges, emphasizing these incidents during a strategic visit is a classic propaganda strategy to discredit India’s policies. The piece strategically focuses on the flaws while ignoring India’s strong legal, social and democratic framework. Furthermore, the inclusion of a decade-old episode from 1966, which is completely unrelated to Modi’s visit, clearly underlines Al Jazeera’s intention to shape a negative narrative.
The timing of the article makes its intention clear: to discredit Modi’s visit to Israel and present India in a negative light. This story is a deliberate attempt to undermine India’s diplomatic position, misrepresent its policies and influence international perception. This cannot be seen as genuine journalism but as propaganda designed to harm India’s strategic interests.
India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, continues to maintain balanced foreign relations, uphold federal principles and constructive engagement globally, despite such attacks by media outlets with ulterior motives. By strengthening ties with Israel and supporting a two-state solution for Palestine, India demonstrates its ability to balance strategic partnerships with historical principles of international diplomacy.
The author is a writer and columnist. His ex handle is @ArunAnandLive. The views expressed are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of News18.
February 27, 2026, 16:51 IST
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