Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day state visit to Israel on Wednesday, with a packed agenda that includes wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an address to the
Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
“This will be his second visit to Israel, and it is going to be historic. We share strategic relations with Israel. Prime Minister Modi will hold detailed discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog,” said JP Singh, India’s Ambassador to Israel.
The visit, at the invitation of Netanyahu, will see PM Modi meet the Israeli Prime Minister and President Herzog to review the progress of the India-Israel strategic partnership.
Discussions are expected to cover areas including defence and security, science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
Both leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and global issues, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
“This visit will reaffirm the deep and long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries and will present an opportunity to review the common challenges as well as realign efforts towards achieving their shared vision for a robust partnership between two resilient democracies,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Additionally, a private dinner hosted by Netanyahu on Wednesday night is also part of the schedule.
Defence cooperation will be a key focus during delegation-level talks on Thursday, including discussions on India’s indigenous air defence shield, Sudarshan Chakra, and potential collaboration with Israel’s Iron Dome system.
This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel in nine years, following his first in July 2017, which elevated bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Since then, India and Israel have strengthened ties across defence, scientific research, cybersecurity, trade, and innovation.
Recent agreements have expanded economic cooperation, including a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation framework and a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA).
People-to-people ties remain strong, with a 41,000-strong Indian diaspora playing a significant role. A bilateral framework for temporary and legal employment of Indian workers has also seen over 20,000 Indians arrive in Israel since November 2023.
(With inputs from agencies)
