Johannesburg, March 25 India's ability to manage relationships with multiple, often competing actors could become a key diplomatic strength, serving as a bridge between BRICS and the US. This is particularly relevant, as under President Donald Trump, the US viewed the BRICS bloc as anti-American and as a potential threat to Washington, according to a report.
The South African newspaper 'The Citizen' reflected on how India's relationship with Israel would impact the unity of the BRICS countries.
While the conflict in Iran has exposed the limitations of the US-Israel alliance's military dominance, it has also highlighted the strain that major geopolitical crises place on the institutions of a new multipolar order.
"Donald Trump's aggressive policy of world domination met its 'Moses' when the US President and Israel attacked Iran. The Islamic Republic did not succumb to US might like Venezuela, but retaliated fiercely, even after its supreme leader was killed. Regardless of how the war ends, Iran will be a lesson that America and Israel will not easily forget. However, the ramifications of the conflict extend beyond the battlefield," the report detailed.
"It has exposed divisions within major international groupings, from the United Nations to NATO and even BRICS, where member states increasingly find their national interests pulling them in different directions," it added.
According to the report, the concern that New Delhi's policy on Israel risks undermining the cohesion of the BRICS overlooks a central feature of Indian foreign policy – the country has never aligned itself with rigid geopolitical camps.
India's diplomacy, it said, has long been guided by strategic autonomy, balancing engagements across competing blocs while protecting its national interests.
"This approach is especially evident in the Middle East, where India maintains strong partnerships with Israel in defence technology, agriculture and innovation, while sustaining deep economic and energy ties with the Arab world and Iran," the report stated.
"This balancing act is not an inconsistency but a deliberate strategy. For India, its growing partnership with Israel reflects practical considerations," it added.
Emphasising India's constructive role as a pragmatic global actor, the report said, "Far from undermining BRICS unity, India's stance underscores the evolving nature of multipolar diplomacy, as evidenced by India's friendly relations with Iran, Israel's arch-enemy."
