Israeli foreign minister visits India, highlights strategic partnership and fight against Hamas

Sa’ar concluded by reaffirming Israel’s commitment to a long-term strategic alliance with India, stressing that the partnership is vital for regional stability and prosperity.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met on Monday with India’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in New Delhi, emphasizing the growing strategic partnership between the two nations and Israel’s commitment to dismantling Hamas in Gaza.

At the start of the meeting, Sa’ar praised India’s support following recent violence. “It is a great honor to be in New Delhi. I thank the Foreign Minister of India, Dr. Jaishankar, for the warm hospitality. We appreciate Prime Minister Modi’s solidarity, and we remember that he was the first world leader to call Prime Minister Netanyahu after the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7,” Sa’ar said.

He highlighted India’s rising global influence, calling it “the largest democracy in the world” and “the fastest-growing economy,” while noting Israel’s position as a regional power. “There is already a warm friendship between our countries. Our goal is to build a long-term strategic partnership,” he added.

Sa’ar also addressed shared security concerns, pointing to radical terrorism as a common threat. “In the Middle East, Israel faces a unique phenomenon I call ‘terror states.’ Terror states have been established in recent decades—Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. Uprooting them from the root is required for regional stability and security,” he said. He stressed that dismantling Hamas is central to what he referred to as “the Trump plan,” adding: “Hamas must disarm. Gaza must be demilitarized. We will not give up on this.”

Jaishankar welcomed Sa’ar’s visit as an opportunity to review and expand bilateral cooperation. “The recent signing of our bilateral investment agreement is a significant step. Our businesses are showing great interest in exploring opportunities in Israel,” he said, highlighting collaboration in agriculture, innovation, cyber technology, and semiconductor development.

Looking ahead, Jaishankar emphasized cooperation in emerging technologies. “We will host the AI Impact Summit this February in India, and we very much look forward to an Israeli presence at the event,” he said. He also noted that Israel supports regional connectivity initiatives such as I2U2 and IMEC. “I believe the future of regional partnerships is bright. We want to promote commonality between South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe,” he added.

Speaking on the presence of Indian workers in Israel, Jaishankar said, “Indian workers are also today present in Israel in growing numbers as a result of our mobility understandings. They have some issues which need attention, and I hope that we can take that dimension of our ties forward.”

India and Israel signed a bilateral investment agreement in September and are also working toward a free trade agreement.

Sa’ar concluded by reaffirming Israel’s commitment to a long-term strategic alliance with India, stressing that the partnership is vital for regional stability and prosperity.