'Tremendous alliance between..': Netanyahu as Modi visits Israel next week
What's the story
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Israel next week. The trip is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in defense, counter-terrorism, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. This will be PM Modi's first visit to Israel during his third term and his first since 2017. The dates of the visit are likely to be February 24-25, although official confirmation is pending.
Announcement details
Netanyahu announces visit during address in New York
Netanyahu announced PM Modi's visit while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He said, "Parliament address on the anvil. Who's coming here next week? Narendra Modi." "Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.4 billion people. India is enormously powerful, enormously popular," he said.
Discussion agenda
Visit to focus on defense collaboration, counter-terrorism efforts
The upcoming talks between PM Modi and Netanyahu are likely to focus on defense collaboration and intensified counter-terrorism efforts. Both leaders have reiterated a zero-tolerance stance on terrorism in their recent interactions. Emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum research, and advanced agriculture are also expected to be high on the agenda during this visit.
Visit significance
India-Israel ties have strengthened under PM Modi, Netanyahu's leadership
Over the last decade, India and Israel's ties have progressively improved, with defense and security cooperation emerging as a key pillar of the collaboration. Israel is a vital defense technology partner for India, supplying critical systems such as missiles and drones, as well as surveillance and air defense platforms. The Gaza Peace Plan, a multilateral agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at resolving the Gaza war, is also anticipated to be discussed during the meeting.