Last Updated:February 26, 2026, 15:20 IST

Lieutenant General Jack Farz Rafael Jacob was a Jewish officer of the Indian Army who played a decisive role in India's victory in the 1971 India-Pakistan war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Israel, during which he addressed the Israeli Parliament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so. His speech highlighted the growing strategic and historical ties between India-Israel, a relationship that has deepened significantly since his landmark 2017 visit.

The warmth in bilateral ties was reflected even before Modi began his address in the Knesset, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as “more than a friend, a brother". In his speech, Modi noted that he was born on September 17, 1950, the same day India formally recognised Israel, a coincidence he described as symbolic of the enduring bond between the two countries.

Among the most striking references in Modi’s address was his tribute to Lieutenant General Jack Farz Rafael Jacob, a Jewish officer of the Indian Army who played a decisive role in India’s victory in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Modi said Jacob’s contribution was widely acknowledged and recalled several conversations he had with the retired general over tea about India-Israel relations. The reference, he suggested, symbolised not only shared history but also the deep human and strategic connections between the two nations.

Lieutenant General JFR Jacob is regarded as one of the foremost strategic planners of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. As Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command, he played a central role in designing the military campaign from the command headquarters in Kolkata. Recognising the difficult terrain of what was then East Pakistan, marked by rivers, marshlands and limited road networks, Jacob advocated a swift and flexible operational strategy rather than conventional set-piece battles. His approach focused on achieving rapid political and military objectives by forcing an early end to the conflict.

Jacob departed from traditional military doctrine by emphasising manoeuvre warfare. Indian forces advanced in small, mobile formations that bypassed heavily defended Pakistani positions and targeted key strategic centres instead. By severing communication and supply lines, Indian troops effectively isolated Pakistani formations and dictated the tempo of the war. The strategy enabled Indian forces to advance rapidly towards Dhaka, preventing Pakistan from sustaining a prolonged conflict.

By the time Indian troops approached Dhaka, Pakistani forces were effectively encircled. Their air support had weakened considerably and supply routes had largely collapsed. Jacob personally flew to Dhaka, reportedly unarmed, and presented surrender terms to Pakistani Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General AAK Niazi. Combining psychological pressure with military encirclement, Indian commanders convinced the Pakistani leadership that resistance was futile.

On December 16, 1971, approximately 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered, marking one of the largest capitulations in modern military history and paving the way for the creation of Bangladesh.

Military analysts have often noted that Indian forces around Dhaka did not enjoy overwhelming numerical superiority. However, India’s rapid advances, control of the airspace and disruption of Pakistani communications created a perception of total isolation among Pakistani troops, contributing significantly to their collapse in morale. Jacob’s strategy aimed to secure a decisive victory with minimal casualties, a goal that was largely achieved.

The Mukti Bahini resistance movement played a crucial supporting role throughout the campaign. Local fighters provided intelligence, guided Indian units through difficult terrain and carried out sustained attacks on Pakistani supply lines, railways and communication networks. Their cooperation with Indian forces is widely regarded as a successful example of coordinated joint operations.

Born into Kolkata’s Jewish community, Jacob represented a unique historical link between India and the Jewish world. Although formal diplomatic ties between India and Israel developed later, figures such as Jacob came to symbolise longstanding cultural and historical connections. Indian leaders have often invoked his legacy to highlight shared values such as democracy, security cooperation and strategic partnership.

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