Benjamin Netanyahu and PM Modi (File photo)
NEW DELHI: “Global power that is India,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday as he spoke ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit, scheduled for next week, praising India’s growing stature on the world stage.Highlighting the special bond between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, Netanyahu posted on X from the official account of his office, saying, “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.”
He added, “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.”This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel, following his landmark 2017 trip, when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country.Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier in the day said that both sides would seek to further strengthen economic, diplomatic and security cooperation during the visit.“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.Israeli PM Netanyahu said the relationship between India and Israel has grown stronger over the years and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit would help deepen it further.“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,” Netanyahu said.On the diplomatic front, he outlined a broader regional vision. “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,” he said.“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 added.During PM Modi’s visit, Netanyahu said Israel would “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,” he said.PM Modi’s upcoming visit comes against the backdrop of the Board of Peace meeting held on February 19. The Board of Peace initiative originated from US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council, but has since expanded beyond its initial scope. Administration officials said around 35 nations had committed to join, while 60 received invitations. Trump has suggested the new body could take on roles currently performed by the United Nations.At the recent AI Impact Summit 2026 held in New Delhi, Ilan Fluss, former Ambassador and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs) Policy Coordinator at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted Israel’s commitment to innovation, responsible development and expanded bilateral cooperation in emerging technologies.Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Fluss described artificial intelligence as a transformational moment comparable to major historical global shifts.An Israeli delegation visited India for the AI Summit and held bilateral meetings with Indian government representatives aimed at strengthening technological collaboration.Meanwhile, the global network israel.com on Sunday announced the launch of a new news portal, israelnews.in, targeted at Indian readers.
