Modi and Netanyahu to cement strategic ‘new alliance’ during landmark Israel visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Israel this week for high-level talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, focusing on the advancement of high-technology, artificial intelligence, and the consolidation of strategic regional alliances.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Prime Minister Modi will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for an official visit.

Netanyahu announced that Modi is scheduled to address the Knesset, participate in a high-profile innovation forum in Jerusalem, and pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu emphasized during a cabinet meeting that the coming week’s diplomatic focus will center on the “special relationship built in recent years between Israel and India, a global power.”

Netanyahu further disclosed that Israel is actively pursuing the creation of a new alliance axis designed to counter regional adversaries across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. This emerging coalition is intended to include India, select Arab and African nations, Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, and various partners across Asia.

The objective, Netanyahu argued, is to establish an axis composed of nations confronting identical security and geopolitical challenges. “This axis stands in opposition to both the radical Shiite axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis,” Netanyahu stated.

Prime Minister Modi reciprocated the diplomatic overture, expressing his firm support for Netanyahu via a post on the X social media platform.

“I am in total agreement with you regarding the strength of the bond between India and Israel and the multifaceted nature of our bilateral relations,” Modi said, noting that he places immense value on a long-standing friendship “anchored in trust, innovation, peace, and progress.”

Modi added, “I look forward to our discussions during my visit to Israel.”