The Secret Friendship That Predated Diplomatic Relations by 25 Years

 

What Mossad confirmed:

Most people think India and Israel became friends only in 1992 when they formally established diplomatic relations. But Mossad's own former officers have told a different story entirely.

Prior to the establishment of formal relations in 1992, Indian-Israeli relations largely developed through backchannel communication between Mossad and RAW. These secret defense relations — which ranged from the transfer of technology and expertise to covert diplomatic visits — were developed to counter Pakistan's increasingly close relationship with China and North Korea. MERIP

Think about what this means: for over two decades, while India officially maintained distance from Israel at the United Nations (to keep Arab nations happy), RAW and Mossad were quietly meeting, sharing intelligence, and running joint operations — completely off the books.

From the early days, RAW had a secret liaison relationship with Mossad. The main purpose was to benefit from Israel's knowledge of West Asia and North Africa, and to learn from its counterterrorism techniques. cfr

Two agencies. No formal diplomatic cover. Just a handshake in the shadows — and it lasted decades.