Israel’s connection with BJP, Sangh goes back to ’60s: Israeli document reveals
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Unclassified documents from the Israeli foreign ministry have exposed a covert and strategic relationship between Israeli diplomats and India's far-right political factions dating back to the early 1960s, according to a report published in The Wire.
According to the documents, Israeli officials actively cultivated ties with the Hindu Right, collaborating with members of the Jan Sangh and later the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to organize rallies and protests across India.
The Haaretz newspaper recently published a detailed report by human rights and freedom of information activist Eitay Mack, shedding light on Israel's diplomatic engagement with the far-right in India. Despite Israeli diplomats explicitly referring to these far-right members as "fascist" and acknowledging their anti-Muslim ideology, the relationship was carefully maintained over the years.
The diplomatic telegrams highlighted in the report span from June 1965, when then-consul in Bombay, Peretz Gordon, expressed that "the Hindu fears and hates the Muslim," to April 26, 1966, when Gordon recommended strengthening ties with India through "secret communications with oppositional elements for the purpose of organizing demonstrations hostile to the government."
The documents also reveal discussions within the Israeli foreign ministry about establishing "cautious contact with the Jan Sangh party (perhaps through the Mossad)" on India's independence anniversary in 1966. Despite reservations among some officials, ties were forged, and by 1967, the Jan Sangh had included a demand for full diplomatic relations with Israel in its manifesto.
A significant revelation from the documents is the role of Jan Sangh lawmaker, M.L. Sondhi, as a middleman, who facilitated contacts between the Israeli consulate and right-wing parties. Sondhi, also associated with Taiwan and anti-communist organizations, continued to be engaged despite concerns about his political alignment.
Throughout the '70s and '80s, the Israeli consulate, through this middleman, coordinated with Jan Sangh lawmakers to criticize the Indian government's stance on Israel. Notably, the far-right Shiv Sena party also featured in the diplomatic interactions, with Israeli consul Reuven Dafni describing the party as "obviously demagogic fascist" in 1968.
The diplomatic saga took a surprising turn during the 1973 Yom Kippur, where a rally in Bombay in support of Israel saw participation from Shiv Sena and Jan Sangh members, coordinated with the Israeli consulate. This marked a period of increased collaboration, with the Israeli consul reporting that Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and a Jan Sangh MP delivered speeches in support of Israel.
Intriguingly, Gopal Godse, the brother of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, made an unexpected visit to the Israeli consulate. Godse expressed his hatred of Muslims and sought assistance in printing and disseminating his brother's defence speech, which was promptly denied by Israeli officials.
As political landscapes shifted, the documents reveal the challenge Israeli diplomats faced during the Emergency years when right-wing leaders went underground or were arrested. However, with the Janata coalition's rise to power in 1977, the Jan Sangh found itself at the centre of Indian politics, aligning itself with Israel due to its anti-Muslim Hindu nature.
The relationship continued to evolve, with the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. Israeli consul Haim Divon noted in a telegram that the new party "is actually (despite its denials) Jan Sangh in disguise." The Israeli foreign ministry's Asia department acknowledged in a 1982 report that the Hindu-Muslim conflict and the rise of the BJP were factors working in Israel's favour.
However, not all interactions were smooth, as evidenced by the forced departure of Israeli consul Yosef Hassin in 1982. Hassin, who had asked BJP's vice president Ram Jethmalani to prepare a party paper on relations with Israel, faced repercussions after criticizing the Indian government's pro-Arab policy in a news interview.