PM Modi’s Israel visit: Netanyahu eyes Middle East alliance against radicals

Jerusalem/New Delh: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel on February 25 for a two-day official visit, marking his second trip to the country since his historic 2017 visit.

In remarks during Israel’s weekly Cabinet meeting earlier on Sunday and shared via posts on social media platform X from official channels, Israeli PM Netanyahu described the upcoming engagement as a key expression of the special relationship forged in recent years between Israel and India and what he called the “global power that is India”.

“On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of India, my friend Narendra Modi, will arrive in Israel. In the vision I see before my eyes, we will create a complete system of alliances around or within the Middle East. An axis of countries that see reality, the challenges, and the goals with one eye, facing the radical axis,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

Netanyahu emphasised the personal friendship between him and PM Modi, noting that they speak frequently via phone and visit each other.

“We are personal friends,” the Israeli PM said, highlighting the warmth in bilateral ties between the two countries.

Israeli PM Netanyahu outlined his vision for the visit as advancing a broader strategic framework.

He envisions building a comprehensive alliance system — described as a “hexagon of alliances” — in and around the Middle East, uniting like-minded nations to collectively address regional challenges and counter radical forces.

“We have a unique alliance, and in my opinion also a historic one, with the US — both state-to-state and my personal relations with President Trump. This alliance does not mean that we are not seeking additional alliances — on the contrary, we are constantly nurturing them,” Netanyahu said.

The visit, he said, would contribute to tightening such alliances while deepening cooperation between Israel and India in economic, diplomatic, and security spheres.

The agenda for PM Modi’s February 25-26 visit includes his addressing the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) in the afternoon, a joint visit to Yad Vashem — the Holocaust memorial — with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and participation in an innovation event in Jerusalem focused on high-tech collaboration, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies.

This foreign visit comes nearly nine years after PM Modi’s landmark 2017 visit, the first by any Indian Prime Minister to Israel, which elevated ties in defence, agriculture, water management, and innovation.

Netanyahu’s reciprocal visit to India in 2018 further solidified the bilateral partnership.

Amid ongoing Middle East tensions, PM Modi’s visit underscores India’s strategic recalibration and growing convergence with Israel on counter-terrorism, defence supplies, and technology sharing.

The discussions are expected to cover expanding trade, defence deals, cybersecurity, and regional stability.

The announcement has drawn attention amid Israel’s domestic political dynamics, with some Opposition leaders raising procedural concerns about the Knesset address.

The visit is seen as reinforcing the “tremendous alliance” between the two democracies, with both sides keen to elevate cooperation against common threats and foster mutual growth.

IANS