Tel Aviv, Jan 23 (NationPress) As the influence of Tel Aviv in the West diminishes and the discourse within American society becomes increasingly adversarial, Israel perceives India's role as the leader of BRICS to be critically important across multiple dimensions, as highlighted in a recent report.

“India continues to be the organization’s 'responsible adult'. New Delhi is focused on ensuring that BRICS does not morph into an overtly anti-Israel group or become dominated solely by the Chinese axis and anti-Israel elements. India's presidency guarantees that the organization will maintain a focus on economic and infrastructure matters, which provides Jerusalem with a crucial diplomatic shield. Israel needs to leverage India's strategic independence to safeguard its interests on the global stage, especially as international alliances are being redefined,” stated Oshrit Birvadker from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).

Birvadker, who specializes in India-Israel, India-Gulf, and Indo-Pacific relations, noted that India's leadership of BRICS could act as a crucial barrier for Israel against the organization's rising politicization.

“As of 2026, India has officially commenced its role as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) president, taking the helm at a pivotal geopolitical moment. The launch of the official logo and website on January 6 by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar signifies the start of a challenging initiative: prioritizing the interests of the ‘Global South’ amid competing internal agendas and increasing diplomatic pressure from Washington,” the JISS report indicated.

Birvadker elaborated that India’s presidency is influenced by two significant factors that are reshaping the international landscape: the transactional, US-centric foreign policy and the escalating competition regarding the interpretation and limits of ‘multipolarity’.

The report claims that for Israel, a nation historically allied with the West yet located in the East, India’s leadership of BRICS in 2026 presents both a “chance and a strategic challenge”.

“In a global scenario divided between traditional Western alliances and the economic rise of the East, India acts as a crucial balancing force. New Delhi’s capacity to mitigate anti-Western sentiments within the bloc and prevent its exploitation as a political instrument renders its presidency an essential support for Jerusalem in maintaining its diplomatic flexibility—even though, ultimately, Israel’s connection to the US remains too deep to allow for a genuinely balanced policy,” the opinion piece underscored.

The report emphasizes that India's involvement in BRICS and its current leadership reflect its commitment to fostering a multipolar world order with India as a key player. Concurrently, it aims to ensure that the organization does not become a vehicle for Chinese dominance or adopt an overtly confrontational or anti-Western position.

“Since embracing a proactive foreign policy grounded in multi-alignment, New Delhi has adeptly navigated the advantages of bilateral cooperation with multiple powers while playing a pivotal role in multilateral forums like the Quad—alongside the US, Australia, and Japan—aimed explicitly at countering China's influence. Although this is not India’s inaugural leadership of BRICS, it takes the current presidency at a time of unparalleled geopolitical instability and global uncertainty,” the report concluded.