Jitender Pal Singh Appointed as India’s New Ambassador to Israel

On January 24, 2025, the Government of India announced the appointment of Jitender Pal Singh as the next Ambassador to Israel. An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from the 2002 batch, Singh is currently serving in the office of the External Affairs Minister and has previously led the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division within the Ministry of External Affairs since 2020.

Professional Background

Throughout his diplomatic career, Singh has held significant positions, including:

Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan (2014-2019): During this tenure, he was instrumental in managing India’s diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

Posting in Kabul (2008-2012): Singh served in Afghanistan during a period when the Indian embassy faced two major terror attacks, providing him with firsthand experience in crisis management.

In recent years, Singh has been pivotal in Track 1.5 engagements with Pakistan and has acted as the Ministry’s point person for interactions with the Afghan Taliban regime following the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government in 2021. His meetings with Taliban leaders facilitated further high-level discussions, including a meeting between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai earlier this month.

Context of the Appointment

Singh’s appointment comes at a crucial time, as Israel and Hamas have recently agreed to a ceasefire, ending 15 months of conflict that began with the terror attacks of October 7, 2023. His extensive experience in handling sensitive diplomatic assignments in volatile regions positions him well to manage and strengthen India’s strategic and technological ties with Israel. Israel is home to over 32,000 Indian nationals, further underscoring the importance of this diplomatic post.

Predecessor’s Transition

Singh succeeds Sanjeev Kumar Singla, who served as India’s Ambassador to Israel from 2019 until his recent appointment as Ambassador to France in October 2024.

Singla’s tenure in Israel was marked by significant diplomatic engagements, including high-level visits and the strengthening of bilateral relations.

India-Israel Diplomatic Relations: A Historical Perspective

India officially recognized Israel in 1950, but it wasn’t until January 29, 1992, that full diplomatic relations were established. Since then, the two nations have developed robust ties in areas such as defense, agriculture, and technology. In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations.

Summary of the news

Key Point	Details
Why in News	Jitender Pal Singh appointed as India’s Ambassador to Israel on January 24, 2025.
Current Role	Officer in the office of External Affairs Minister; head of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk.
Diplomatic Experience	– Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan (2014–2019).
	– Served in Kabul (2008–2012) during embassy terror attacks.
Taliban Engagement	Led India’s interactions with the Taliban post-Ashraf Ghani’s government fall in 2021.
Predecessor	Succeeded Sanjeev Kumar Singla, who is now Ambassador to France.
India-Israel Relations	Established full diplomatic ties in 1992; PM Modi’s historic visit in 2017 boosted cooperation.
Israel Static Info	Capital: Jerusalem; Currency: Israeli Shekel; PM: Benjamin Netanyahu.
Indian Community	Over 32,000 Indian nationals reside in Israel.