After the Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has made it clear that Israel supports India’s right to self-defense. Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, predominantly Indian tourists, the operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). Islamabad disputes India’s assertion that the attack was carried out by groups based in Pakistan.
“We support the right of self-defense of each other, and we’ve been working together to deal with common threats when it comes to the building of capabilities,” Ambassador Azar said in an exclusive interview, highlighting the tight ties between Israel and India.
We therefore view ourselves as strategic partners, close friends, and allies, and we hope that this collaboration will continue. Since it is advantageous to both nations, I have no doubt that it will continue. Since the obstacles against us are only getting stronger, this connection of trust will only get stronger.
Azar said, “Israel supports India’s right for self-defence,” echoing Israel’s position in public remarks and on social media. Terrorists ought to be aware that they have nowhere to escape from their horrible atrocities against defenseless people. According to him, Operation Sindoor was a turning point that demonstrated both countries’ common resolve, inventiveness, and moral clarity in defending their civilizations while reiterating that terrorism cannot be justified, excused, or accepted.
Indian officials characterized Operation Sindoor as a targeted, non-escalating response that purposefully avoided Pakistani military or civilian targets while focusing on nine terrorist facilities associated with organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. But before a ceasefire was mediated on May 10, there was a brief but violent escalation as Pakistan claimed civilian losses and replied with mortar bombardment and drone attacks.
In addition to discussing more general regional security concerns, Ambassador Azar defended Israel’s actions against Iran and emphasized the necessity for the international community to respond to rogue governments more skillfully. He pointed out that Israel and India are increasing their defense cooperation as well as their innovation, agricultural, and cultural interactions, in response to growing dangers that they confront in common.
The ambassador’s comments demonstrate the growing strategic alliance between Israel and India, which is based on a common commitment to combating terrorism and regional instability as well as mutual support for the right to self-defense.