Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a strengthening of defence, trade and counter-terrorism ties with Israel during a rare visit, forging closer bonds to combat security threats in their regions.
Defence relations between the nations are an “important pillar” of the partnership, PM Modi said in an address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Wednesday, after arriving in Tel Aviv for the first time in nine years.
He and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are “committed to expanding trade,” strengthening investment flows, and promoting joint infrastructure development, PM Modi said, citing last year’s ceasefire in the war in Gaza as creating a means to cooperate more closely.
“In today’s uncertain world, a strong defence partnership between trusted partners like India and Israel is of vital importance,” he said.
PM Modi is expected to finalise a major order for Israeli-made missile systems as part of the visit, according to an official in New Delhi familiar with the matter, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Specifics of the deal are unlikely to be publicly released, though, as both sides keep the focus of the trip on their broader ties, officials said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the order.
Israel is one of India’s biggest arms suppliers going back decades, with the defence relationship evolving over time to one where the two countries now jointly manufacture equipment like drones and missiles.
Ahead of PM Modi’s trip, Reuven Azar, Israeli’s ambassador to India, said the two sides are seeking a deeper defence and security agreement, allowing for cooperation on “more sensitive projects.”
PM Modi, whose Hindu nationalist party won a third consecutive election in 2024, has been a staunch supporter of Israel and shares a close personal bond with Netanyahu, often referring to him as a “friend.” He’s remained loyal to those ties, while relations with Israel’s other allies came under strain due to the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza.
The US-brokered Gaza peace plan, later endorsed by the United Nations, “holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine Issue,” PM Modi said. The future of the truce with Hamas remains uncertain however, with the group yet to give up arms and future governance and security initiatives at a nascent stage.
Israel and India are strengthening their bonds at a time when their rivals in the region are forging closer alliances. Pakistan – a nuclear-armed nation that India has clashed with several times over the years – signed a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia. Turkey is seeking to join that defence alliance, people familiar with the matter said last month, a move that would further shift the balance of power in the tense region.
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