Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised India as one of Israel's strongest sources of global support, describing the country as central to Israel's outreach strategy. Speaking at a leadership programme in the Jordan Valley on Thursday, Netanyahu described India as 'a huge power called India' and highlighted that public sentiment towards Israel in the country was unusually warm. According to reports from Clash Report, Netanyahu stated that India faces 'delegitimisation in much of the world — but not in India' and emphasized that 'there is a real... love of Israel. Crazy, just crazy.' He added that he believes he has 'more followers from India than anywhere else' while noting India's vast population of about 1.4 billion. The remarks came amid a fragile geopolitical situation in West Asia, with Israel facing security challenges on multiple fronts and seeking to strengthen ties with partners beyond its traditional allies.
The latest comments come months after Modi's state visit to Israel from February 25 to 26, when the two sides elevated their relationship to a 'Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity'. As reported by Clash Report, Netanyahu noted that he believed he had 'more followers from India than anywhere else' while acknowledging India's vast population of about 1.4 billion. The joint statement issued after the talks outlined plans for intensified cooperation across emerging technologies, cyber security, agriculture, water management, health, entrepreneurship, defence and security. Netanyahu has often highlighted his personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoken about the strength of ties between India and Israel.
Both leaders agreed to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, fintech and digital healthcare. According to the joint statement, India and Israel would work to institutionalise cooperation across government, business and people-to-people channels, while also pushing for stronger trade and investment links. The statement framed the partnership as one built on Israel's innovation ecosystem and India's scale in talent, manufacturing and digital infrastructure. During Modi's visit, he backed efforts aimed at peace and stability in the region and welcomed the Gaza peace plan discussed during his meetings with Netanyahu.
The latest developments include significant progress on early discussions for a proposed Free Trade Agreement between the two nations. As reported by NDTV Profit, both sides have called for early progress on the proposed Free Trade Agreement, with discussions focused on expanding commercial ties and improving opportunities for businesses in high-skill and technology-driven sectors. This represents a concrete step forward in the bilateral economic relationship beyond the strategic partnership framework.
India formally established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992, but the relationship has gained sharper strategic momentum over the past decade. As reported by NDTV Profit, Modi's 2017 visit to Israel which was the first by an Indian prime minister, and Netanyahu's visit to India in 2018 are widely seen as turning points in a partnership that has since grown across defence, agriculture, technology and innovation. The leaders also reiterated cooperation on counter-terrorism and security, while highlighting the need for a broader regional framework for stability.
