After holding a working meeting Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered statements to the media at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel.
“This is an amazing visit with an amazing result,” Netanyahu said at the start of his remarks alongside Modi. “It was short but very productive and moving.”
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Sixteen agreements signed: the statement by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu said the two leaders are working on “concrete plans,” adding: “The future belongs to innovators. Israel and India are based on innovation. We are proud of our past, but determined to seize the future and do it better together.” He noted that another meeting between the two governments is planned in India and praised Modi’s efficiency.
Netanyahu also shared a personal anecdote, saying one of his first dates with his wife, Sara, was at an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv. “I owe India a personal debt,” he said. “The food was amazing. I feel a personal friendship, and a friendship between our governments and our peoples, and I am convinced it will flourish as a result of this visit.”
Modi thanked Netanyahu for the welcome, saying that stepping again onto “this historic and inspiring land of Israel” was a proud and emotional moment for him. He thanked the Knesset and the Israeli public for the honor bestowed on him, including a medal presented by the Knesset speaker, and dedicated it to “1.4 billion Indians and the friendship between India and Israel.”
“This friendship is built on a deep foundation of democratic and human values,” Modi said. “Our ties have stood the test of time. Today we made a historic decision to elevate our longstanding partnership to a special strategic partnership, symbolizing the aspirations of our two peoples.”
He said the two countries would soon conclude a new free trade agreement and emphasized that people-to-people ties are the foundation of cooperation.
Modi said he and Netanyahu discussed “a wide range of regional and global issues,” including advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the India-Israel-United Arab Emirates-United States initiative.
“We both agreed that terrorism has no place in the world, regardless of its form or expression,” Modi said. “We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and its supporters.” He added that India supports efforts toward peace in Gaza and will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar took part in the earlier working meeting, which began at 11 a.m. Modi described the visit as “an important milestone” in bilateral relations, saying ties have been driven by the people of both countries across sectors including security, agriculture, water, development and labor.
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Sixteen agreements signed between Israel and India
(Photo: Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office)
During the visit, Israel and India signed 16 memorandums of understanding covering a range of bilateral issues, including cultural cooperation and innovation in agriculture. One agreement establishes a research and innovation center for agriculture in India, including training programs, expert exchanges and academic cooperation.
Earlier Thursday, Modi visited Yad Vashem and laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance. In the guest book, he wrote that he bows his head in memory of the millions murdered in the Holocaust and that the site “speaks to the conscience of humanity and reminds us of the destructive price of hatred.” He said India stands with Israel in commemorating the victims and in the shared commitment to ensure such atrocities never happen again.
Modi also met with President Isaac Herzog, who said India is “a vital part of the great future of the Middle East, and the Middle East is a vital part of India’s great future.” Modi invited Herzog to visit India.
On Wednesday, Modi was welcomed at Ben Gurion Airport by Netanyahu before holding talks. A special Knesset session was later held in his honor, where he signed the Knesset guest book. Modi opened his speech with “Shalom” in Hebrew and “Namaste” in Hindi. He expressed full support for Israel following the October 7 massacre and declared that India “stands firmly with Israel, in full faith, at this moment and in the future.”
He described Israel as an “innovation powerhouse,” pledged to strengthen trade ties and concluded with the Hebrew phrase “Am Yisrael Chai.” Members of Knesset then approached him for photographs.
Modi was the first Indian prime minister to address the Knesset and the first to visit Israel, having previously made a historic visit in 2017.