India’s May 6 attack on Pakistan shows how the world’s inaction on the Gaza genocide has inspired Narendra Modi to escalate in Kashmir. From New Delhi to Tel Aviv, the ideological affinity between Zionism and Hindutva has never been clearer.
Zionism and Hindutva share ideological roots, and increasingly followers of both are finding common ground in propping up the same American politicians.
Since October 7, there have been protests across India in support of the Palestinians and Israel, with much different responses from authorities. Palestine solidarity activists have faced a brutal crackdown, while Israel’s allies have had a free hand.
Azad Essa’s new book uncovers Israel and India’s joint history, as well as the affinities between the toxic ideologies ungirding their national projects.
An outpouring of support in India for Israel’s war on “terrorists” can be explained by: India’s rightward drift under Modi, underpinned by hatred for Muslims, and a sense of identity between Zionism and Hindutva, the political philosophy of the ruling party in India. The close ties are also strategic, relating to India’s tensions with Muslim-majority Pakistan.
The Modi-Bibi bonhomie rests on much more than personal chemistry, or even the Israeli military-industrial complex’s significant role in servicing Indian needs. It is rooted in the profound admiration of generations of Hindu nationalists for Zionism and its product, Israel, whose model of nation-state they seek to emulate in India.
India’s Prime Minister Modi, his ruling BJP party, the RSS movement, and their intertwined actions can teach us all a lot about what Zionism is, how how both Zionism and Hindutva work to create and defend an exclusivist, ethno/sectarian-nationalist state.