Narendra Modi to visit Israel as Netanyahu hails India’s ‘tremendous alliance’

Modi first visited Israel in 2017, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Israel next week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, calling the trip a signal of the “tremendous alliance” between the two countries.

Addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem on Monday night, Netanyahu said the leaders would discuss a broad range of cooperation, reflecting Israel’s growing diplomatic and technological influence worldwide.

“India is not a small country. It has 1.5 billion people. “In India, Israel is enormously popular,” he said. “We are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation.”

Modi first visited Israel in 2017, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so. Netanyahu paid a reciprocal visit the following year.

Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s appeal in the defense and high-tech sectors, which he said has drawn interest from governments and investors alike. “The war showed the prowess of Israel, the enormous capacities here, the high-tech, deep-tech capabilities that astonish the world,” he said.

“That is not only in the military field; it has immediate consequences in the civilian field, and people understand it, so they come here.”

Israeli officials have been preparing for Modi’s visit since January, when Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar confirmed to Asia News International that the trip was in the works.

Azar described the Israel-India relationship as a strategic partnership that has accelerated this year, citing ministerial engagements and key agreements signed in 2025.

These include a bilateral investment treaty, security arrangements, and progress on a free trade agreement and financial protocols.