What are reasons that some people support Israel? by Kushal Kulshreshtha

Let me give you an Indian perspective. I have numerous reasons to support it.

Their courage and patriotism is beyond any comparison.

What if somebody is being continuously bullied by his neighbors, who are united due to religious fanaticism? And the guy who is being bullied always gives a befitting reply to the perpetrators.

It was the time of 1967 when a new nation, merely standing at the age of 20, which started with zero (literally) with its childhood occupied with internal pains, stood firm against 2 nations- Syria and Egypt. They did not surrender. Infact they won.

Again 5 years later, these 2 nations namely Syria and Egypt again repeated that cheap and inhumane tactic, this time when most of the Jewish soldiers were on holiday. They were equipped with the weapons supplied by the USSR. This time it was hard, and Israel disengaged itself from its land of Sinai due to UN, which was captured by them back in '68. But the thing to be noted is that Israel fought single handed against the bunch of 12 countries. But they not only fought but they were able to defeat the offenders.

Whenever our newspapers fetch stories from Israel, we always read about gruesome act by Lebanon, Hamas terrorists from Gaza strip etc. It takes a lot of courage to withstand that pressure, internal and external especially when you are surrounded by hostile neighborhood.

India too shares the same positions with Egypt and Syria as Pakistan and China. With far more power and arms than the former two and coridially acting to move against India, internal tensions of Kashmir, naxals etc I believe that India must learn fromIsrael.

Recently some UN resolution said that the land of Temple Mount has no ties with Israel. This is same as saying that Hindus with Sindh and Zoroastrians with Pasargadae (modern day Iran) have no ties. Basic understanding in history tells us that Jews lived there since 1000 BC. Do UN chaps mean that if some community has lost its ancestral land for some reason or the other, it severs the ties of that community with that land?

But above all, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime Minister of Israel had already flaunted his stance in UNGA by saying, "UN should not dictate its terms to Israel."

I admire them for the courage they hold that they are not afraid of anything powerful when it comes to their interest.

Their innovation (especially in arms)-

Well they are a new nation and have always supported India by providing with high quality weapons like IMI Tavor TAR-21 used by Indian special forces. A nation with little area is proving itself to be a backbone for arms supply for a huge nation like India. They have well managed their resources.

(Indian special forces using Tavor)

And yes, they helped us during the time of Kargil war by providing mortar, laser guided missiles, Israeli Heron and searcher Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Their help was crucial for us at the time of war.

(Israeli Heron)

Planes, Drones, Missiles: How Kargil changed Indo–Israeli Relations

The development they did in last 60 years-

As I already stated, they started from zero. And now Israel ranks 19th out of 187 nations nations on the UN's Human Development Index, which places it in the category of "Very Highly Developed" making Israel ahead of countries like France, Austria and Belgium. (India still ranks 135th) 
Read Economy of Israel.
Table 1: Human Development Index and its components

(Israel in 1950)

(Israel in current form)

And yes, their military is tough and powerful, and beautiful too

Israel is one of the few countries in which even women have to serve for military. What I mean is this

and this

(Picture courtesy: Google Images)

Moreover, Indian culture is respected by Israelis. Why will I support Arabs nations who don’t even have the maturity to respect other cultures. Why will I support them when I know that they call us ‘kafirs’ (infidels), idol worshipers to abuse us.

On the other hand Jews (Israelis) treat our culture with respect and sometimes even follow some of our practices. In 2014, Janmasthtmi, a festival in which Hindus celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna was celebrated on a grand scale in Israel. Janmashtami a grand festival in Israeli town - Times of India

Then we have Israelis like Mr Ben A. Wise who scented Indian culture on his stay in India. He stayed in cities like Auroville, Chennai etc. He learnt Hindi and Tamil here. His bitter-sweet experiences are heartwarming and soothing. I always end up smiling after reading his experiences here. So much he respects India that he wanted to name his son as ‘Aryan’ but couldn’t do it as Nazis had infected this word. Hence he ended up naming his son ‘Soham’

Ben A. Wise's answer to How would a Jewish person react if he or she meets an Indian with the name 'Aryan' or someone with a Hindu swastika?

Ben A. Wise's answer to Which cities in India are most friendly to expats, and why?

Moreover, top writers like Mr Noam Kaiser also view India and Indians positively. He admires Indian army as one of the best in the world. He considers India as Israel’s ally. Why shouldn’t I respect the people who praise Indian army?

Noam Kaiser's answer to Does Israel consider India as an ally?

Noam Kaiser's answer to How are the Indian Armed Forces regarded by other countries?

Noam Kaiser's answer to What do Israelis think of India?

Israelis have the prowess of turning desert land into cultivatable land. They grow crops on barren land,with lowest water usage. Their irrigation technique is the best. And that is what we need in water scarce country like India. With the help of Israel, around 112,000 olive trees were planted in the Thar Desert.

I wonder why I shouldn’t be pro Israel. How can someone be reluctant to support Israel. I like their very idea of Zionism. Zionism was based on the thought of Hatikvah’-The Hope to return to Jerusalem. They had always remembered Jerusalem in days of exile in forms of hymns and prayers. I have read about the foundation of their country and I know very well the pain they took and dedication they possessed to do that. After 2000 years of persecution, they finally have their land which they can claim their own.

And so we have the 2 legendary statesmen, Mr Modi and Mr Netanyahu to carry our bilateral relations to the next level.

By the way today is birthday of Mr Netanyahu, honorable Prime Minister of Israel. I wish you very best wishes from India. I hope to see you visit India soon.

So these are the reasons, my friend that I support Israel, and I will always do so.