After Supporting Israel in the Gaza War, Modi Arrives in Tel Aviv Today to Deepen the Alliance

SadaNews - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel today, Wednesday, for an official visit, his second since taking office in 2014, following his first visit as Indian Prime Minister to Israel in July 2017.

Modi stated in a post on the X platform: "I will be visiting Israel today and tomorrow. Our two countries have a strong, multifaceted strategic partnership, and relations have significantly strengthened in recent years."

He added that he will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes in Gaza - and President Isaac Herzog, and will deliver a speech before the Knesset, in addition to meeting with the Indian community, which he described as having made a "significant contribution to strengthening the friendship between India and Israel."

Modi's visit is expected to focus on enhancing defense cooperation and updating security agreements, amid the growing military partnership between the two countries and Israel's desire to expand cooperation with India, one of the main importers of Israeli defense technology.

Netanyahu preempted the visit by praising his Indian counterpart, referring to him as a "friend," noting that the visit represents an opportunity to "build new alliances" within the Middle East and its surroundings, and expecting updates to security agreements that would allow for deeper cooperation in defense industries.

The visit comes in the context of a strategic shift in Indian policy towards Israel, as New Delhi supported the Palestinian cause for decades and only established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.

However, Modi's era has witnessed a wide rapprochement with Tel Aviv, led by the enhancement of security and technological cooperation.

Following the October 7, 2023 attack, Modi expressed his "shock" just hours later at what he described as "terrorist attacks," affirming India's solidarity with Israel.

Additionally, India refrained from voting at the United Nations on October 27 in favor of a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that it "does not explicitly condemn the attack on Israel."