Israel-Iran War: In a diplomatic misstep that sparked social media outrage across India, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a public apology after posting a map on social media that incorrectly depicted Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan. The controversial map, shared on X (formerly Twitter), was part of a post outlining Iran’s missile threat but included India’s international borders inaccurately.

Facing strong backlash from Indian users, some of whom tagged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the IDF admitted the error. “This map fails to precisely depict borders. We apologise for any offense caused,” the Israeli military responded, roughly 90 minutes after the original post.

What the X users said?

The apology came only after several sharp responses from Indian X users. One user, under the handle “Indian Right Wing Community,” directly challenged the IDF’s post, writing: “Now you understand why India remains neutral. In diplomacy, no one’s really your friend.” The Israeli military replied directly to this user, stating that the map was only meant to be an “illustration of the region” and not an official representation of geopolitical boundaries.

As of now, the Indian government has not officially responded to the diplomatic faux pas.

Why is India’s map without Jammu and Kashmir a matter of concern?

India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, are integral parts of its territory, a position reaffirmed time and again, most recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

The IDF’s erroneous depiction of Indian territory has therefore struck a particularly sensitive chord in the country, where territorial integrity remains a deeply emotive and political issue.

Israel-India relation 

The diplomatic slip is especially jarring given the historically close ties between India and Israel. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Israel in 2017 the first ever by an Indian head of government relations between the two nations have deepened, particularly in defence and trade.

India is among Israel’s largest buyers of military equipment, and bilateral trade continues to grow, placing New Delhi just behind global heavyweights like the US, UK, China, and Hong Kong in trade volumes.

Israel-Iran conflict

The incorrect map appeared in a graphic warning about Iran’s missile capabilities, showing concentric circles radiating from Tehran to illustrate missile reach. Countries including India, China, Saudi Arabia, and parts of Europe were marked within these circles but with India’s borders inaccurately drawn, the depiction caused offense.

The IDF’s post warned that “Iran is a global threat,” calling Israel only the “beginning” of Tehran’s ambitions — a message timed during rising Israel-Iran hostilities after the assassination of key Iranian nuclear scientists and missile experts.