The Architecture of ComplicityEdition 1

On October 7, just hours after the Hamas-led attacks in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu received his first call from a world leader. It did not come from Washington or London, but from New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call set the tone for what followed: unconditional political, diplomatic, and economic support as Israel went on to decimate Gaza in an act of genocide.

While much of the global attention has focused on the Western involvement in the war on Gaza, The Architecture of Complicity shifts the focus on a decisive but unexamined actor - India. It documents how India, an influential player in the Global South, enabled this violence through diplomatic shielding, rhetorical alignment with Israel's 'counter-terrorism' discourse, increased trade and through the recruitment of Indian labour to replace expelled Palestinian workers.

Drawing on original reporting and analysis, Azad Essa shows how Gaza became a key site for the consolidation of India's authoritarian project, revealing how the self-described 'world’s biggest democracy' moved closer to become the world's largest fascist state.