By Fatima Saleem
The resurgence of fascism in global politics has led to an uptick in incidents of ultra-nationalism, racism, Islamophobia and intolerance. Both; Zionism and Hindutva are premised on similar beliefs and are deeply embedded in the teachings of ethno-nationalist far-right. The two have joined hands to form an ideological bond having direct implications for domestic, regional and global politics.
According to orthodox Jewish traditions, Jews are forbidden from forming a state of their own until the arrival of their Messiah, and doing otherwise is considered blasphemous. But this has not stopped the Zionists from pursuing their agenda. Historically, Zionism emerged in 1897 as a result of political developments in Eastern Europe where Jews were facing mass persecution. Its founder Theodor Herzl, advocated for the formation of a separate Jewish state in Palestine. The Jerusalem program is the guiding principle of Zionism and broadly aims to promote the unity of the Jewish people, ensure the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, promote Jewish migration (Aliyah) to Israel and ensure integration of immigrants, strengthen Israel as a Zionist state, fight anti-Semitism and make the country an expression of practical Zionism.
The program was first adopted in 1951 and has undergone multiple revisions. The left-wing Zionists are more secular while the right-wing Zionists promote a government centered on Jewish religious traditions. According to Henry Kissinger, Israel never had a foreign policy, only domestic politics. If this is to be believed then its actions are an extension of its domestic Zionist agenda. Promoting illegal settlements, restricting access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, declaring Jerusalem as its unequivocal capital, the ongoing Israel-Gaza war and calling Palestinians “animals” are some of the practical manifestations of it.
Hindutva is the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is heavily influenced by Mussolini’s Italy, the rise of Nazism and the third Reich in Germany. The term was first coined by V.D. Savarkar in 1923 and promotes Hindu nationalism and supremacy. Savarkar’s work, ‘The Essentials of Hindutva’, promotes a Hindu majoritarian state, the “Hindu Rashtra” for the protection of its “cultural citizenship”. Unlike Islam and Christianity; Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism find their origins in India. Premised on this, Savarkar termed these religions as variations of Hinduism while completely rejecting the Abrahamic texts. This has been a decisive factor in today’s ongoing religious tensions in India.
The amendments to India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, the abrogation of articles 370 and 35a in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and increased incidents of mob lynching against minorities are some of the practical examples of Hindutva ideology.
Premised on hyper-nationalistic beliefs, both ideologies of Zionism and Hindutva hold astounding similarities. India and Israel are ruled by ethno-racially driven regimes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the coalition of right-wing Likud party and Religious Zionism respectively. Aiming to keep their lands racially pure, Hindutva propagates the creation of a Hindu Rashtra and Akhand Bharat while Zionists strive to create a Greater Israel.
Both ideologies have a legacy of colonisation and are actively engaged in genocidal practices. Proponents of the two ideologies are engaged in distorting history. The desecration of religious sites in India and Israel has also become a common occurrence. According to a report of the People’s Union for Human Rights, in Gujarat alone, 500 mosques and shrines have been demolished to date.
Historically, India-Israel ties were never strong. After independence, India supported the cause of Palestine. However, in a bid to develop stronger ties with the US, in 1992, India established formal diplomatic relations with Israel. With time, relations have grown stronger and now encompass: economic, political, military, and cultural domains.
In the contemporary geopolitical scenario where India and Israel both act as net security providers for their respective regions, it is convenient for them to also have similar political ideologies. The growing Indo-Israel nexus can also be explained in the larger context of the US-China rivalry where India’s status as the US’ strategic partner has further augmented New Delhi-Tel Aviv relations. The deepening bond can further be explained by India’s ambition to obtain regional dominance for which it is actively pursuing a policy to remain close to countries having advanced military and technological capabilities.
Currently, India is Israel’s largest buyer of military equipment and its second-largest trade partner in Asia. Ties have been further strengthened by cooperation in cybersecurity, the energy sector, air transport agreements, film co-production and investment MoUs.
Amidst the current Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza, thousands of Indian labourers have migrated to Israel in a bid to replace Palestinians. Israel is also actively assisting the Indian army in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir through information sharing, providing surveillance softwares and supplying weapons.
As Indo-Israel relation grows, the Hindutva Bhakts continue to hold Zionists in high esteem. This unholy alliance poses a dire threat to the values of multiculturalism and peaceful co-existence. The mastermind of the Norway 2011 attack, Anders Behring Breivik who killed 69 individuals released a manifesto “A European Declaration of Independence” in which he glorified the Hindutva ideology. This is a dangerous precedence and shows that these fascist ideologies are influencing individuals.
As the sphere of influence of Zionism and Hindutva expands, the world silently watches them carry out gross human rights violations in Gaza and Kashmir, respectively. It has therefore become incumbent upon the international community to hold these fascist governments to account before it gets too late.
To contact the writer Fatima Saleem, Email: fatimasaleemraza@gmail.com
