Benjamin Netanyahu hails ties with India as PM Modi prepares to visit Israel

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel next week. This visit will be significant in many ways. This visit comes amid efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in security, counter-terrorism, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence. It is also significant because PM Modi is visiting Israel for the first time in nine years, since 2017. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed India-Israel relations, calling them extremely important.

When will PM Modi visit Israel?

Although India has not officially announced this visit, PM Modi is expected to visit Israel on February 24-25 following an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has also hinted at this before the visit.

In his recent speech at the Presidents' Conference of Major American Jewish Organizations, Netanyahu emphasized the strong ties between the two countries. He said, "There's going to be a speech in Parliament. Who's coming here next week? Narendra Modi." He added, "Israel and India have a very good relationship, and we'll discuss all kinds of cooperation."

He further described India as a powerful country. Netanyahu said, "As you know, India is not a small country. 1.4 billion people live here. India is very powerful, very popular... I want you all to know this." He also spoke about Israel's popularity in India.

What issues will be discussed?

During PM Modi's visit, talks between him and Netanyahu are expected to focus on defense cooperation as well as intensifying counter-terrorism efforts. Both leaders have recently called for a strong crackdown on terrorism. Agreements are also expected in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum research, and advanced agriculture.