Modi carves stronger links with Israel
ISRAEL/INDIA: Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel yesterday when he landed in Tel Aviv for the start of a three-day visit designed to reshape relations between the two countries.
His packed schedule includes a tour of the Holocaust museum, a meeting with Israeli chief executives, and a visit to the graves of Indian soldiers in the World War I cemetery at Haifa.
He will hold a rally with Israelis of Indian descent, estimated to number about 80,000.
Modi arrived to a red-carpet welcome at the airport, where, reminiscent of his meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington last month, he embraced the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, promising to build a ‘‘strong and resilient partnership with Israel’’.
‘‘It’s my singular honour to be the first ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit,’’ he said.
It is an unusually lengthy trip for Modi, longer than his recent stops in European capitals and on a par with his first meeting with Trump.
Netanyahu will accompany him to many of his events.
‘‘It’s difficult, if not impossible, to overstate the importance of this visit,’’ said Mark Sofer, deputy director of Israel’s foreign ministry. ‘‘It has huge symbolic significance.’’
With 1.3 billion people to feed and chronic water shortages, India is regarded by Israel as an important market for its hi-tech irrigation and desalination technologies, as well as a leading customer for its burgeoning arms industry.
Israel is now the Indian army’s third-biggest supplier, behind Russia and the United States. It sold nearly $600 million worth of defence equipment last year, making India by far its largest destination for exports.
Diplomats say the two countries will sign new arms deals this week. The two countries have agreed more than $2 billion of contracts for advanced surface-to-air missiles since April.
The deals represent a profound shift for the world’s largest democracy.
Though India recognised Israel in 1950, their relationship was long an informal one. The two countries only established formal diplomatic relations in 1992.
– The Times