{"id":310125,"date":"2026-02-25T21:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/310125\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T21:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:26:12","slug":"in-the-knesset-modi-says-india-stands-firmly-with-israel-in-this-moment-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/310125\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Knesset, Modi says India stands firmly with Israel \u2018in this moment and beyond\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a clear message to the region emphasizing the strength of their alliance, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Wednesday to work in lockstep to confront Islamist terrorism, with the Indian leader telling the Knesset in a historic address that his nation stands \u201cfirmly\u201d with the Jewish state.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndia stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond,\u201d Modi told lawmakers during a special session in the Knesset honoring the Indian premier, the first time an Indian leader has addressed Israel\u2019s parliament.<\/p>\n

The two long-serving leaders have developed a famously close personal relationship \u2014 occasionally uncomfortably so<\/a> \u2014 reflecting a strategic relationship that has been expanding steadily for decades.<\/p>\n

India and Israel will build an \u201ciron alliance\u201d of countries \u201cin the face of extremist Islam,\u201d said Netanyahu, speaking ahead of Modi, who is in Israel for a two-day visit.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu added that the two countries are together developing the IMEC initiative, a US-backed transport project that aims to connect India to Europe via the Middle East by sea and rail. \u201cThis maritime-land corridor can exist and flourish only if it passes through stable and secure countries. And there are no stronger and more secure countries on this axis than India and Israel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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The idea of creating a new regional alliance has been a recurring theme for Netanyahu of late. On Tuesday, he told the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency that Israel is\u00a0working to create its own regional alliance to oppose Iranian and Muslim Brotherhood axes. \u201cI am talking about an entire circle that encompasses the Middle East,\u201d he told the intelligence officials.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) arrives at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 25, 2026 (Knesset Channel screenshot)<\/p>\n

In the Knesset on Wednesday, Modi called Israel \u201ca protective wall against barbarism,\u201d echoing language that Netanyahu has used when speaking to Western audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe massacre of October 7 made it absolutely clear: either the jihadist axis of evil will break us, or we will break it,\u201d Modi continued, referring to the Hamas invasion of southern Israel in 2023 that sparked a regional war between Israel and Iran along with its armed proxies. \u201cAnd we are breaking it \u2014 and will break it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Modi also told his hosts that \u201cI\u2026 carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tFile: Hamas terrorists are seen near the Gama Junction in southern Israel, close to Re\u2019im and Kissufim, amid the October 7, 2023, onslaught. (South First Responders)<\/p>\n

Netanyahu thanked Modi for his support in the aftermath of the Hamas invasion, saying, \u201cAfter this murderous attack, you stood in such a clear way, so moral, so sharp\u2026 We will never forget this.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also praised India\u2019s tolerance toward its ancient Jewish communities: \u201cIn a world where antisemitism is rising, India stands out \u2014 a civilization where Jews were never persecuted by the state, only welcomed. We don\u2019t forget that, too. Thank you, India.\u201d<\/p>\n

Modi stressed India\u2019s approval of US President Donald Trump administration\u2019s comprehensive Gaza peace plan, saying \u201cthat it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tUS President Donald Trump holds the charter during a signing ceremony on his Board of Peace initiative at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026. (AP\/Markus Schreiber)<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Gaza ceasefire is in its second phase, which foresees the demilitarization of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas, along with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.<\/p>\n

However, implementation of the plan has remained unclear, with Israeli officials increasingly believing that stripping Hamas of its weapons will be impossible without the Israel Defense Forces taking action.<\/p>\n

Preventing a Knesset \u2018circus\u2019<\/p>\n

Modi became the first Indian leader to visit Israel<\/a> in 2017.\u00a0During that trip, he and Netanyahu waded barefoot together into the Mediterranean surf, the waves gently lapping at the hems of their pants as they talked. The two then sipped drinks and took a drive in a water desalination dune buggy.<\/p>\n

To make sure his close friend didn\u2019t forget the experience, Netanyahu later presented Modi with a photograph of their stroll on the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI say our partnership is a match made in heaven and consecrated on earth,\u201d said Netanyahu when he visited India early the next year.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi visit the water desalination plant at Olga beach, on July 6, 2017. (Kobi Gideon\/GPO)<\/p>\n

Netanyahu used similarly effusive language in his Knesset speech on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cNarendra, my dear friend, I am deeply, deeply moved by your visit here today,\u201d Netanyahu said. \u201cBecause I have to be diplomatic, I will not rank it. I\u2019ll get into trouble. But I\u2019ve never been more moved than by your visit here with us, a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Indian-Israeli alliance, and a great leader on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would almost venture to say [you are] more than a friend, a brother,\u201d Netanyahu said, praising the technological cooperation between the countries in recent years. \u201cWe\u2019ve doubled our trade, tripled our cooperation, quadrupled our understanding in ways that I cannot begin to describe. In some ways, probably shouldn\u2019t describe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu and his wife Sara met Modi at Ben Gurion Airport early Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and his wife Sara Netanyahu stand next to India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2L) during a welcome ceremony at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on February 25, 2026. (Jack GUEZ \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, my friend,\u201d Netanyahu said as the three embraced on a huge red carpet while trumpets blasted in the background.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu and Modi then sat down for a private meeting at the airport, ahead of Modi\u2019s Knesset address.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a bond, a real friendship,\u201d Netanyahu cheerfully told his Indian counterpart, in footage shared by Netanyahu\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tKnesset Speaker Amir Ohana awards Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the new Medal of the Knesset on February 25, 2026 (Noam Moshkovitz\/Knesset)<\/p>\n

But the warm personal feelings were almost overshadowed by domestic political drama.<\/p>\n

Opposition MKs left the plenum during Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana\u2019s and Netanyahu\u2019s speeches to protest the exclusion of High Court president Isaac Amit from the special Knesset session. However, they returned for Modi\u2019s speech to emphasize that the boycott was not meant to disrespect the Indian leader.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tOpposition leader Yair Lapid greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Knesset in Jerusalem during Modi\u2019s official visit to Israel on February 25, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

Reentering the Knesset after Netanyahu\u2019s speech, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid shook Modi\u2019s hand and welcomed him to the Knesset.<\/p>\n

Lapid assured Modi that the opposition walkout had \u201cnothing to do with you,\u201d drawing boos from coalition lawmakers, to which he replied: \u201cLet\u2019s try not make things worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire State of Israel is filled with admiration for your leadership, for your friendship, for the fact that you were here for us in our time of trouble, and for the alliance, the eternal alliance between our two states,\u201d Lapid said. \u201cSo thank you very much for being here. And we are all, both sides of the aisle, looking forward to hearing your speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

Free trade strains<\/p>\n

Bilateral relations between India and Israel have strengthened in recent years, leading to cooperation in military cooperation, agriculture, science, health, IT and telecommunications. Both Israel and India have been expressing interest in cooperation in additional areas, such as water, fintech, construction and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

India is\u00a0the most populous country and the fifth-largest economy in the world. The $3.9 trillion economy is Israel\u2019s second-largest trading partner in Asia, after China. In 2024, bilateral trade volume between Israel and India reached about $5 billion, which included $2.5 billion in Israeli exports, $1 billion in diamond trade and $1.5 billion in imports from India to Israel.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tIsrael\u2019s Economy Minister Nir Barkat speaks at the India-Israel business forum in New Delhi, February 2025. (Courtesy of Israel Economy Ministry)<\/p>\n

Israel is the fourth largest supplier of military hardware to India.<\/p>\n

Last year, a series of Israeli ministers visited India, including Tourism Minister Haim Katz and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter. In July, Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram made his first\u00a0working visit\u00a0to India, aiming to deepen industrial cooperation with defense firms in the country.<\/p>\n

In September, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was in the country to sign a bilateral agreement to facilitate mutual investment flows and encourage economic cooperation and trade between the two countries.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"
\n\t\tIndian builders work on a construction site in Tel Aviv on December 23, 2024. (Menahem KAHANA \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

The agreement is seen as preparing a common ground for advancing the ongoing negotiations for a future free trade agreement between Israel and India. In 2025, Economy Minister Nir Barkat led a large business delegation to New Delhi to make progress on the long-touted FTA pact.<\/p>\n

According to an Israeli official, Modi and his team are pushing hard for the free trade agreement, but Israel is holding it up. India wants to have foreign workers included in the FTA, but Israel is opposed, but out of fear that it would not be able to control the number of Indian workers coming in, and because of the influence on the Likud party of Israeli middlemen who arrange for the workers to enter the country.<\/p>\n

Still, the two leaders weren\u2019t about to let any disagreements over free trade or domestic politics get in the way of the expanding personal and strategic relationship.<\/p>\n

\u0939\u092e \u0938\u093e\u0925 \u0906\u0917\u0947 \u092c\u0922\u093c \u0930\u0939\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902-\u0914\u0930 \u0924\u0915\u0928\u0940\u0915 \u0935 \u0928\u0935\u093e\u091a\u093e\u0930 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924-\u0907\u091c\u093c\u0930\u093e\u0907\u0932 \u0938\u093e\u091d\u0947\u0926\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u0915\u094b \u0914\u0930 \u092e\u091c\u092c\u0942\u0924 \u092c\u0928\u093e \u0930\u0939\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902\u0964 ???????????????? https:\/\/t.co\/xP5SrAYNe4<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Benjamin Netanyahu \u2013 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05de\u05d9\u05df \u05e0\u05ea\u05e0\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5 (@netanyahu) February 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Both men posted on X in the other\u2019s language as they headed in a limousine together for an innovation event.\n<\/p>\n

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