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First Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Who is JP Singh, India's envoy to Israel, MEA's ‘go-to' diplomat in times of crisis?
Jitendra Pal (JP) Singh took over the post of India's Ambassador to Israel in January during a ceasefire between the Jewish country and Hamas in Gaza. Just months down the line, he is overseeing New Delhi's efforts to evacuate its citizens from Israel as tensions mount between the West Asian country and Iran. Recently, Singh came to the limelight after Netflix's movie, The Diplomat, portrayed the high-profile rescue mission of Uzma Ahmed in Pakistan. The case was handled by Singh read more JP Singh is India's Ambassador to Israel as New Delhi begins evacuation of its nationals from the West Asian country. X/@IsraelinIndia India's Ambassador to Israel is in the spotlight again. As military tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, New Delhi has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from the two warring countries in West Asia. As India rescues its citizens from Israel, India's envoy in Tel Aviv – Jitendra Pal (JP) Singh – is at the centre of it all. Under him, India is navigating the Iran-Israel conflict, which has caused turmoil in West Asia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Singh was recently the subject of Netflix's The Diplomat starring John Abraham. The movie is based on the high-profile Uzma Ahmed rescue case in Pakistan, which was handled by him. Who is the Indian diplomat? We take a look. Who is JP Singh? JP Singh, a 2002 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as India's Ambassador to Israel. His appointment came in January this year at a crucial time, during Israel and Hamas' ceasefire in Gaza. Singh replaced Sanjeev Singla, who is the Indian Ambassador to Paris. His tenure as Indian Ambassador in Tel Aviv is significant for bilateral defence and trade ties between the two countries. Singh was sent to Israel at a time when Indian workers are increasingly going to work in Israel. The West Asian country is home to more than 32,000 Indian nationals. As Iran and Israel's conflict intensifies, Singh is again India's point-person for managing a crisis on foreign soil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MEA's top pick for Iran, Afghanistan JP Singh has held several big posts at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He has served in Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey. The diplomat was the joint secretary in the key Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran (PAI) division of the MEA. Last year, Singh was responsible for maintaining a balance between India's relationship with Iran and its regional rival, Israel, as they traded missiles. He also steered high-level engagements between India and Iran when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian died, reported The Hindu. Singh was posted in Kabul as the first secretary between 2008 and 2012. During his tenure, he dealt with the aftermath of two suicide attacks by the Taliban on the Indian Embassy in 2008 and 2009. After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Singh went to Kabul to meet Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network behind the attacks on the Indian Embassy and consulates in Afghanistan. Last November, he held talks with the Taliban's Acting Defence Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, to expand ties between India and Afghanistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Administrator of National Defense Ministry met with a Delegation from India. The defense ministry's administrator, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob 'Mujahid' at his office today, met with an Indian delegation, headed by... — د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) November 6, 2024 His meeting is seen to have cleared the path for Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's talks with the Taliban regime's Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai in January. JP Singh's hard talk with Pakistan Singh was India's deputy high commissioner to Pakistan between 2014 and 2019. He managed tensions between the two countries for a decade, including seeing a brief thaw in October 2024 when Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of Government meeting. After India launched Operation Sindoor in May to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Singh told Pakistan to hand over the dreaded terrorists operating from its soil. In an interview with Israel's i24NEWS last month, Singh said that the 'new normal' is India's offensive strategy against terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused. It's not yet over,' the Indian Ambassador to Israel said, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue. He pointed out that India has taken a new stance. 'We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their terrorist infrastructure.' Singh said that 'ceasefire is intact' for now. He also called on Pakistan to hand over high-profile terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir. Singh talks from experience as he has overseen the fallout of the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks. When he was the Joint Secretary (IPA), India and Pakistan clashed over the 2019 Pulwama attacks. They suspended trade ties and recalled High Commissioners after the abrogation of Article 370. Singh also supervised discussions to build the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims, as per The Hindu. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Pakistan, Singh led the diplomatic rescue mission of Indian national Uzma Ahmed in 2017 after she was forced into a marriage at gunpoint. Netflix's movie The Diplomat revolves around the case, capturing Singh's skills while taking on a high-stakes mission. With inputs from agencies
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Handled The Taliban, Survived Bombings, Rescued Uzma: JP Singh, 'The Diplomat', Is In Tel Aviv
Under IFS officer JP Singh's command in Israel, India is evacuating students and citizens while continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of missile fire Bombs in Kabul, missiles in Tel Aviv, and complexities in Islamabad – when diplomacy demands nerves of steel, India turns to one man. JP Singh, a 2002-batch IFS officer currently at the helm in Tel Aviv, is navigating the ongoing conflict as India's Ambassador to Israel. Under his command in Israel, India is steering evacuations of its students and citizens while also continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of all the missile fire. While the US is reportedly preparing to evacuate some of its embassy personnel as the conflict escalates, the Indian mission is actively working to assist all citizens in leaving the area. Known for his skills and composure while operating in high-risk zones, JP Singh has now become India's go-to crisis manager on foreign soil. His calm under fire first came into public view during the high-profile Uzma Ahmed rescue case in Pakistan, a mission so gripping that it inspired the recent OTT release – 'The Diplomat' – in which John Abraham plays a character based on him. Singh has been appointed the 10th ambassador of India to Israel, a position that was held by Shivshankar Menon, who later became the national security adviser (NSA) for then prime minister Manmohan Singh. He was appointed Indian ambassador in Tel Aviv earlier this year after serving as the chief of staff to the external affairs minister (EAM) for a year. NO STRANGER TO CONFLICT According to a senior IFS officer, Singh is among the senior diplomats who initiated dialogue with the Taliban and met their foreign minister after they took over Kabul. This was the first official interaction between India and the government led by the Taliban in Kabul. A GLORIOUS CINEMATIC INTERPRETATION Some of Singh's diplomatic manoeuvring became the subject of a gripping cinematic interpretation – The Diplomat (2025), a movie that offers a slick yet intense look into the life of an officer who often operates in the eye of the storm and on foreign soil. The film does not only glorify him, but also attempts to decode the method behind his composure, the mind behind the missions, and also the meaning of modern-day Indian diplomacy. In Kabul, he played another crucial behind-the-scenes role in cementing India's outreach to key stakeholders during the fragile phase before and after the Taliban's return. In Islamabad, too, his tenure was marked by astute negotiation, deep intelligence and strategic liaison, while focusing on careful diplomatic messaging during a particularly tense phase in Indo-Pakistan relations. Now, as tensions flare in Israel, Singh has once again stepped up. However, it is more of a field job for him and about ensuring the safety and evacuation of Indian citizens and students caught in the crossfire. First Published: June 19, 2025, 20:22 IST
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
If US can extradite terrorists, Pak can give us Saeed, Lakhvi: Indian envoy
Calling upon to form an international coalition against terrorism, India's Ambassador to Israel JP Singh, has stressed that India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan is "paused" and "not over", demanding that Islamabad should handover key terrorists Hafiz Saeed, Sajid Mir and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi just like US did with one of the masterminds of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Tahawwur Hussain Rana. Narrating the incidents leading up to India's offensive, Singh in an interview with Israeli TV channel i24 on Monday said that the operation was initially against terror groups in Pakistan. "The terrorists killed people based on their religion. They asked people their religion before killing them and 26 innocent lives were lost", the Indian ambassador said citing the Pahalgam attack of April 22. "India's operation was against terror groups and their infrastructure to which Pakistan responded by attacking India's military installations", he emphasised. Asked if the ceasefire is holding and if it is the 'end of the matter' for India, Singh responded by saying that "the ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused, it's not yet over". "The fight against terrorism will continue. We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are, we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their infrastructure. So it is still not over but as we speak the ceasefire is still intact", he asserted. Describing India's attack on Nur Khan base in the early morning of May 10 as a game changer, Singh said that it created panic in Pakistan and their DGMO reached out to their Indian counterpart seeking a ceasefire. On the question of suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) that Pakistan has described as "an act of war", the Indian envoy said that the two key words that guided the treaty were never honoured and India on the contrary was always battling against terror attacks emanating from Pakistan. "IWT was signed in 1960 and the preamble of the treaty includes two key words - goodwill and the past so many years what we have seen (is that) we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing - they were allowing terror (attacks) to come on the Indian side", Singh noted. "There was a lot of frustration among people that this cannot go on like this. Our Prime Minister said that blood and water cannot flow together and that is the reason that we decided to put this IWT in abeyance", he added. "Terror must stop", the Indian ambassador asserted for a treaty like this to be operational and Pakistan must stop cross-border terrorism. "While IWT is in abeyance, another IWT is operational - Operation Sindoor is India's War Against Terrorism", he said. Citing a long list of terror attacks in India that originated from Pakistan, Singh said that the "root cause are these two groups Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba". The leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba which was behind the Mumbai attacks in which several Jews were also killed, continue to roam free, he noted. "They need to do a very simple thing - when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us", the envoy stressed. Pointing out that the United States recently extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attack, the diplomat who has also served in Pakistan in the past said that Islamabad could also do the same. "When the US can hand over these culprits, why can't Pakistan hand over? They have to simply hand over Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir and things will be over", he emphasised. With reference to Pakistan's offer to investigate the Pahalgam attack, Singh dismissed it, describing it as a deflection strategy. What has happened to the Mumbai attack? What has happened to the Pathankot air base attack? What has happened to the Pulwama attack, he questioned. We have given them dossiers after dossiers we have given them technical inputs. America has shared with them evidence. Everything is there but what have they done, he asked. Lakhvi, who was the main planner of the Mumbai attack, is still roaming freely. Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, planner and executioner of the Mumbai attack is roaming freely. So we can't believe them, Singh said. Contending that terrorism is a global menace, the Indian envoy called for greater cooperation among the countries faced with the challenge. "At an international level all those countries including India, Israel and many other countries that face the brunt of terrorism, we need to expand our diplomatic reach, we need to cooperate, we need to form a coalition against terrorism and most importantly against the supporters of these terrorist groups" he proposed. He concluded by saying that "our prime minister has made it very clear very clear that we have zero tolerance on terrorism. We are not going to accept this cross-border terrorism".
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Op Sindoor Is "Not Over", Pak Must Hand Over Terrorist Hafiz Saeed: Indian Envoy
Jerusalem: Calling upon to form an international coalition against terrorism, India's Ambassador to Israel JP Singh, has stressed that India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan is "paused" and "not over", demanding that Islamabad should handover key terrorists Hafiz Saeed, Sajid Mir and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi just like US did with one of the masterminds of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Tahawwur Hussain Rana. Narrating the incidents leading up to India's offensive, Mr Singh in an interview with Israeli TV channel i24 on Monday said that the operation was initially against terror groups in Pakistan. "The terrorists killed people based on their religion. They asked people their religion before killing them and 26 innocent lives were lost", the Indian ambassador said citing the Pahalgam attack of April 22. "India's operation was against terror groups and their infrastructure to which Pakistan responded by attacking India's military installations", he emphasised. Asked if the ceasefire is holding and if it is the 'end of the matter' for India, Mr Singh responded by saying that "the ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused, it's not yet over". "The fight against terrorism will continue. We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are, we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their infrastructure. So it is still not over but as we speak the ceasefire is still intact", he asserted. Describing India's attack on Nur Khan base in the early morning of May 10 as a game changer, Mr Singh said that it created panic in Pakistan and their DGMO reached out to their Indian counterpart seeking a ceasefire. On the question of suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) that Pakistan has described as "an act of war", the Indian envoy said that the two key words that guided the treaty were never honoured and India on the contrary was always battling against terror attacks emanating from Pakistan. "IWT was signed in 1960 and the preamble of the treaty includes two key words - goodwill and the past so many years what we have seen (is that) we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing - they were allowing terror (attacks) to come on the Indian side", Mr Singh noted. "There was a lot of frustration among people that this cannot go on like this. Our Prime Minister said that blood and water cannot flow together and that is the reason that we decided to put this IWT in abeyance", he added. "Terror must stop", the Indian ambassador asserted for a treaty like this to be operational and Pakistan must stop cross-border terrorism. "While IWT is in abeyance, another IWT is operational - Operation Sindoor is India's War Against Terrorism", he said. Citing a long list of terror attacks in India that originated from Pakistan, JP Singh said that the "root cause are these two groups — Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba". The leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba which was behind the Mumbai attacks in which several Jews were also killed, continue to roam free, he noted. "They need to do a very simple thing - when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us", the envoy stressed. Pointing out that the United States recently extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was involved in the Mumbai attack, the diplomat who has also served in Pakistan in the past said that Islamabad could also do the same. "When the US can hand over these culprits, why can't Pakistan hand over? They have to simply hand over Hafeez Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir and things will be over", he emphasised. With reference to Pakistan's offer to investigate the Pahalgam attack, Mr Singh dismissed it, describing it as a deflection strategy. "What has happened to the Mumbai attack? What has happened to the Pathankot air base attack? What has happened to the Pulwama attack," he questioned. "We have given them dossiers after dossiers — we have given them technical inputs. America has shared with them evidence. Everything is there but what have they done", he asked. "Lakhvi, who was the main planner of the Mumbai attack, is still roaming freely. Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, planner and executioner of the Mumbai attack is roaming freely. So we can't believe them," Mr Singh said. Contending that terrorism is a global menace, the Indian envoy called for greater cooperation among the countries faced with the challenge. "At an international level all those countries including India, Israel and many other countries that face the brunt of terrorism, we need to expand our diplomatic reach, we need to cooperate, we need to form a coalition against terrorism and most importantly against the supporters of these terrorist groups" he proposed. He concluded by saying that "our prime minister has made it very clear — very clear — that we have zero tolerance on terrorism. We are not going to accept this cross-border terrorism".
News18
19-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘If US Can Hand Over Rana, Why Can't Pakistan Give Us Hafiz, Azhar?': Indian Envoy To Israel
Last Updated: In an interview with Israel's i24 News, India's Ambassador JP Singh warned that Operation Sindoor is only 'paused' and normalcy hinges on Pakistan handing over wanted terrorists In a strong and unambiguous message to Islamabad, India's Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, said that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — long upheld as a symbol of bilateral goodwill — could no longer survive when one side chooses violence over peace. 'Goodwill, friendship and blood can't flow together," Singh told Israel's i24 News, confirming that the treaty has been put in abeyance following Pakistan's continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. 'Over the years, we allowed water to flow; Pakistan allowed terror to flow," Singh said, referring to decades of attacks by groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The final trigger, he said, was the April 22 Pahalgam attack, where 26 people were killed based on their religion. 'This cannot go on like this. Our Prime Minister made it clear — blood and water cannot flow together." Singh said the treaty's foundational principle of friendship and goodwill had been 'repeatedly violated" by Pakistan's actions. He asserted that the pause in the treaty will continue until Islamabad ends its terror infrastructure and hands over key perpetrators. 'When the US can extradite Tahawwur Rana, why can't Pakistan hand over Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir? Everything will be normal if Pakistan hands over these terrorists to India." Singh gave a detailed account of Operation Sindoor, describing it as a calibrated military response that unfolded in two phases. On May 7, Indian forces launched precision strikes on terror camps and launchpads in Muzaffarabad, the LeT headquarters in Muridke, and JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur, killing over 100 terrorists. When Pakistan retaliated by targeting Indian military installations, India hit back with strikes on army bases, radar systems, and airfields, including Nur Khan and Sargodha. 'Their DGMO called ours — and that's how the ceasefire was initiated on the evening of May 10," he said. But Singh cautioned that this was not the end. 'The ceasefire is holding for now. But Operation Sindoor is paused, not over. A new normal has been set — we will follow an offensive doctrine. Wherever terrorists are, we will strike. Their infrastructure will be destroyed." He also took aim at Pakistan's duplicity. 'They keep saying they want investigations and international probes. But what about Mumbai, Pathankot, Pulwama? We gave them dossiers. The US gave them evidence. Yet Sajid Mir, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are roaming free. You simply cannot believe them." Turning to India-Israel cooperation, Singh called it 'strategic and rapidly expanding". He noted that while India relies on its indigenous defence platforms under the Make in India initiative, Israeli systems were also crucial during Operation Sindoor. 'The difference is: we use these platforms to target terrorists. Pakistan uses its resources to protect them." He outlined the potential for deeper ties in infrastructure, agriculture, water management, science and technology, and workforce mobility. He cited India's $1.5 billion investment in Haifa port, interest in Tel Aviv metro projects, and the signing of migration and mobility agreements to send skilled Indian workers across sectors like caregiving, hospitality and agriculture. 'Even during conflict, there was no security issue for Indian workers in Israel," he said. Looking ahead, Singh called for a broad global alliance against terrorism, uniting countries like India and Israel. 'Those who suffer must come together — not just against terror groups, but their supporters and shelters. The world must act with zero tolerance."
