Amid the West Asia turmoil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Israel – his second to the country after his landmark 2017 trip – for a two-day state visit on Wednesday, February 25.
Prime Minister Modi is looking to deepen bilateral relations with Israel, spanning defence, trade and technology. The visit comes at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named India as a potential member of his “Hexagon of Alliances."
Netanyahu has publicly described Modi as a “dear friend" and called the India-Israel relationship a “powerful alliance between two global leaders." The two leaders are expected to hold wide-ranging talks on defence co-development, advanced technology cooperation and a proposed regional security framework that Netanyahu has been pushing ahead of the visit.
Talks between Modi and Netanyahu are expected to focus on expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, agriculture and water management.
On the defence side, both sides are looking at joint development of anti-ballistic missile systems, laser weapons, drones and long-range stand-off missiles. Indian officials have also signalled interest in deeper collaboration on Israeli systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. An updated security pact is expected to be signed, covering next-generation defence technologies.
Modi is also expected to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament – a rare honour that underlines the diplomatic weight both sides attach to the visit.
Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately $3.75 billion in 2024-2025, as per Indian figures, excluding arms sales.
Israel is among India’s top arms suppliers. Between 2020 and 2024, it accounted for 13 percent of India’s military hardware imports making it the third-largest supplier after Russia and France, as per data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Indian defence cooperation with Israel dates back to the 1962 war with China and has strengthened significantly under successive governments.
The most discussed matter going into this visit is Netanyahu’s “Hexagon of Alliances," a proposed six-nation bloc involving countries in and around West Asia.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
