LINKS between the ethno-religious ideologies of zionism and Hindutva as well as British and US imperialism were explored at a discussion panel at The World Transformed Festival 2025 today.  

Palestinian Youth Movement member Yara Derbas said: “Israel and the zionist militias were trained by the British, and the British learned those tactics because of their presence in India.

“This is the imperial boomerang, as it’s known. These tactics are passed on and tested on our people again and again — and keep going around in this cycle.”

The governments of India and Israel have not historically had a strong relationship between them, she said. “But as the world market changes, it serves them both to have a relationship. India wants to ally itself with the US — and wherever US imperialism is, Israel is there.

“India and Israel play a role in both of their respective regions by safeguarding capital and safeguarding its interests, and of suppressing any kind of political opposition or revolutionary movements — because that’s also what imperialist forces and fascist forces exist to do: that is what ultimately protects their power and protects their position in the global order.”