"Partners In Innovation, Security": Israel PM Netanyahu On PM Modi's Visit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel as "historic", saying the partnership between the two countries continues to scale new heights across innovation, security and regional cooperation.

In a post on X, ahead of Modi's visit to Israel, Netanyahu described the Prime Minister as a "dear friend" and highlighted the growing strategic alignment between the two countries.

"This morning, at the opening of our Cabinet meeting, I spoke about the historic visit of my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Israel this coming Wednesday," he said.

Calling the relationship a "powerful alliance between two global leaders," Netanyahu said Israel and India are partners in innovation, security and a shared strategic vision.

"We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision. Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress," he said.

Referring to cooperation in emerging technologies and broader geopolitical coordination, Netanyahu added, "From AI to regional cooperation, our partnership continues to reach new heights."

He concluded the post by saying he looks forward to welcoming Modi in Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, adding that the two sides will look to strengthen economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.

"On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of India will arrive. He will deliver a speech at the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), and I am sure you will all be there. We will also hold an innovation event in Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem together," Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting of government officials here.

His remarks were posted by the Israeli Prime Minister's office.

"This week, expression will be given to the special relationship that has been forged over recent years between Israel and the global power that is India, and between myself and its leader, Prime Minister Modi. We are personal friends; we speak frequently on the phone and visit one another. I have visited India, and Modi has visited here. We waded together in the waters of the Mediterranean, and much water has flowed since then in the Mediterranean, the Ganges, and the Jordan, though less in the Jordan," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli PM said that "the fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation."

Further regarding the diplomatic aspect, he said, "In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a 'hexagon' of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won't detail at the moment. I will present this in an organized manner."

"The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis. All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future, Netanyahu said.

During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel, Netanyahu said Israel will "promote cooperation in high-tech, AI, and quantum computing."

"I say AI and quantum not because they are the future, but because they are the present. We, of course, want to be among the world's leading nations in these fields, Netanyahu said.

This will be PM Modi's second visit to the country, following his 2017 visit when he became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit the middle eastern country.

PM Modi's scheduled Israel visit comes in the backdrop of the Board of Peace meeting on February 19. Board of Peace is an initiative that originated from US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council, but has since expanded beyond its original scope.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)