▁and ▁to ▁strength en ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁India ▁and ▁Israel . ▁It ▁is ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁visit ▁could ▁" open ▁Muslim ▁minds ▁across ▁the ▁world ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Israel , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ". ▁ ▁H indu ▁support ▁for ▁Z ion ism ▁ ▁After ▁Israel ' s ▁creation ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁Indian ▁National ▁Congress ▁government ▁opposed ▁Z ion ism . ▁Some ▁writers ▁have ▁claimed ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁done ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁get ▁more ▁Muslim ▁votes ▁in ▁India ▁( where ▁Muslim s ▁number ed ▁over ▁ 3 0 ▁million ▁at ▁the ▁time ). ▁However , ▁conserv ative ▁H indu ▁national ists , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Sang h ▁Par iv ar , ▁open ly ▁supported ▁Z ion ism , ▁as ▁did ▁H indu ▁National ist ▁intellect uals ▁like ▁Vin ay ak ▁Dam od ar ▁Sav ark ar ▁and ▁S ita ▁Ram ▁Go el . ▁Z ion ism , ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁liber ation ▁movement ▁for ▁the ▁rep atri ation ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people ▁to ▁their ▁hom eland ▁then ▁under ▁British ▁colonial ▁rule , ▁appe aled ▁to ▁many ▁H indu ▁National ists , ▁who ▁viewed ▁their ▁struggle ▁for ▁independence ▁from ▁British ▁rule ▁and ▁the ▁Part ition ▁of ▁India ▁as ▁national ▁liber ation ▁for ▁long - opp ress ed ▁H ind us . ▁ ▁An ▁international ▁opinion ▁survey ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁India ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁pro - Is rael ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁In ▁more ▁current ▁times , ▁conserv ative