An Indian delegation of policymakers, influencers and journalists visiting Israel this week in the wake of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip said that the expansion of the 2020 Abraham Accords, coupled with the future establishment of an international rail and shipping link to connect India with the Middle East and Europe, would be an incontrovertible boon for regional stability.

The tour and discussions come as ties between Jerusalem and New Delhi are booming amid anti-Israel sentiment elsewhere around the world in the wake of the war triggered by the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and as the Trump administration is looking at making far-ranging post-war changes in the Mideast.
Swapan Dasgupta, a fellow at the India Foundation in New Delhi and former parliamentarian associated with the party of Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, told JNS as the group toured sites in Jerusalem that “the ties that bind India and Israel are much more than a commercial relationship; it is a civilizational relationship.”
He stated that “the expansion of the Abraham Accords would be beneficial to all parties involved, as well as India, since we manage cordial relations with both Israel and the Arab states.”
The landmark agreement reached under the first Trump administration saw Jerusalem reach a normalization agreement with four Arab and Muslim-majority countries, led by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. A much-touted accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia—derailed by the events of Oct. 7—is said to be a goal of the new U.S. administration this year.
“The Abraham Accords can be a useful starting point for building an even stronger Indian-Israel relationship because the opportunities for partnership are almost limitless,” said Makarand Paranjape, an Indian educator and author. “Indian foreign policy over the last decade has been turned upside down and everyone recognizes that we have a special relationship with Israel.”
Dan Feferman, executive director of the Israeli NGO Sharaka (meaning “partnership” in Arabic) that organized the five-day Israel tour, said: “Although Indians have a general affinity to Israel and vice versa, our societies are not deeply familiar with each other, and this presents an opportunity to build on this relationship with the largest democracy, home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the world.”
The Indian delegation toured a Holocaust memorial, timed to the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27; visited the Knesset in Jerusalem; and saw firsthand some of the hard-hit Jewish communities in the south.

‘Minimize potential conflict in region’
At the same time, a long-term initiative led by the United States to create a rail and shipping link to connect India with the Middle East and Europe—announced 18 months ago shortly before the Hamas assault—puts India squarely on the regional map. More immediate bilateral issues, such as increased flights to and from each country, and high-tech cooperation, remain top priorities.
“This rail initiative should happen because if we are all linked, it will reduce and minimize any potential conflict in the region,” said Yusuf Taher Unjhawala, a researcher at the Thakshashila Institute, a think tank in India. “This is an ambitious but not unrealistic project as the balance of power shifts to Asia.”
“It is a very good idea as we progress and solidify the Abraham Accords,” said Lt. Gen Satish Dua, a veteran of India’s army, noting that it would deflate Hamas’s whole intention in starting the war. Meaning, it was in part meant to halt progress toward a peace accord with Saudi Arabia and to drive the world’s wrath against Israel.
Said Dua: “It is an idea waiting to happen, and then commerce will take over and drive some stability.”
