Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Israel, marking his second visit to the country. Relations between the two countries have deepened significantly during the Hindu nationalist leader's tenure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said there is an "extraordinary alliance between Israel and India" and that the leaders will discuss various forms of cooperation.
Modi’s first visit in 2017 was historic, as he became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. At the time, the two leaders embraced at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with Modi calling the trip “a journey that breaks new ground.” Netanyahu recalled their first meeting in New York in 2014, when – he said – they agreed to “tear down the remaining walls between India and Israel.”
Today, analysts say that mission has largely been accomplished. A relationship that was once viewed with hesitation in India and conducted discreetly has become one of New Delhi's most open friendships on the international stage.
Modi has often described Netanyahu as a "dear friend," despite the fact that in late 2024 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes during Israel's offensive in Gaza.
The visit is expected to further deepen cooperation in the fields of defense, technology, and economics, confirming the strategic rapprochement between the two countries at a delicate moment for the region.
