India, Sept. 17 -- Narendra Modi and India's formal recognition of Israel share not just a year but a date. Seventy-six years later, the PM born on that date has done more to transform the relationship than any predecessor. He did not merely deepen it. He changed its nature. He lifted a condition that had constrained it for decades, and in doing so made possible what we see today: A Special Strategic Partnership in defence, technology, agriculture, and a shared refusal to be broken.

From 1950 to 2014, India's engagement with Israel was presented alongside its engagement with the Palestinian cause. It reflected India's founding commitment to self-determination, its role in the Non-Aligned Movement, and the diplomatic realities of a countr...