Raj Kaul noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the attack because India also experienced extremist violence.
By Shula Rosen
India and Israel are united by shared democratic values, common experience confronting terrorism, and expanding strategic cooperation, veteran Indian journalist Aditya Raj Kaul said during an interview with Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch on The Viktor Frankl Podcast.
Kaul, senior executive editor at NDTV, said the October 7 Hamas massacre reinforced parallels that many Indians have recognized for years between Israel’s security challenges and India’s long struggle against Islamist terrorism, particularly in Kashmir.
He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the attack because India immediately recognized the nature of the violence from its own experience.
While India continues to pursue diplomacy, Kaul said it draws a clear distinction between political disputes and acts of terrorism.
“When it comes to terrorism,” he said, “one cannot tolerate it.”
Kaul also described his family’s own experience as members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, recalling that Islamist terrorists targeted the region’s Hindu minority beginning in 1989.
His family fled Kashmir on Jan. 19, 1990, carrying what they believed would be a temporary bus ticket that instead marked the beginning of permanent exile.
According to Kaul, between 500,000 and 600,000 Kashmiri Hindus once lived in the region, while fewer than 10,000 remain today, a demographic shift he described as ethnic cleansing driven by Islamist terrorism.
Beyond security cooperation, Kaul said Israel and India share strong family values, respect for tradition, and a commitment to preserving historical memory.
He praised the resilience of Israeli civilians during the current war, recalling visits in which residents took shelter during missile attacks before resuming their daily routines.
“The resilience of the Israeli people,” he said, “is something every Indian recognizes and admires.”
Kaul said relations between Jerusalem and New Delhi have expanded beyond long-standing defense and intelligence cooperation into agriculture, water technology, manufacturing, innovation, trade, and growing people-to-people ties.
He predicted the two countries are likely to conclude a free trade agreement in the coming months and said future cooperation could include emergency defense manufacturing.
Looking ahead, Kaul said he expects India, Israel, and the United States to deepen their partnership through shared democratic values, technological innovation, and economic cooperation.
“We are only working on the foundation these days,” Kaul said. “The main achievements still lie ahead.”
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