For decades, the partnership between New Delhi and Jerusalem was defined by exclusivity. The relationship lived in the classified domains of defense ministries, intelligence agencies, and elite agricultural tech summits. Diplomats signed billion-dollar arms deals. Prime ministers celebrated shared technological innovation. The alliance was historically top-heavy, built by the absolute elites of both nations.

That era of exclusivity has officially ended. The most consequential shift in the India-Israel alliance is unfolding on dusty construction sites in Tel Aviv and across sprawling agricultural fields in the Negev desert.

Following regional conflicts, Israel faced a critical labor shortage in its construction and agricultural sectors. The Israeli economy historically relied heavily on Palestinian labor to build its urban infrastructure and harvest its crops.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)