Netanyahu Calls Modi One Of His Greatest Friends, Backs Stronger India-Israel Ties

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government's commitment to strengthening ties with India, saying Israel is "investing heavily" in the bilateral relationship and describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "one of our greatest friends".

Speaking on a podcast, Netanyahu rejected assertions that Israel has been diplomatically isolated because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as per a report by Hindustan Times.

What Did Netanyahu Say?

Speaking about Israel’s foreign policy, Netanyahu said that he was trying to expand their alliances amid the shifting geopolitical landscape. Netanyahu said, as quoted by Hindustan Times, "We need to cultivate additional alliances. That's why I'm investing heavily in our relationship with India, with my friend Narendra, who is one of our greatest friends.”

Netanyahu further said, “They say Israel is isolated. The support that Israeland I personally, receive in India is simply unbelievable,” Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

Earlier, while speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said Israel enjoys "tremendous" support from India.

"We have some other friends, like a small country called India. You know it has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there. You know, I have this Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by the overwhelming support there," he said.

Remarks Come Amid US Debate

These remarks came after Netanyahu confirmed he has resolved differences with US Vice President JD Vance regarding Israel's stance on Iran. He also rubbished assertions that Israel tried to manipulate American foreign policy during the ongoing conflict. This comes amid months of visible strain between Vance and Netanyahu following the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war in February.

Vance had cautioned Israeli detractors earlier during a podcast of the proposed peace accord against alienating their "only powerful ally" remaining on the international stage.

Vance had said during a press briefing earlier, “Donald Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”

He added, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have left, anywhere in the entire world.”

India-Israel Relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a state visit to Israel from February 25-26 on the invitation of Netanyahu. During the visit, the leaders noted the immense progress made in the India-Israel bilateral relationship across diverse domains, including emerging technologies, cyber, agriculture, water management, health, entrepreneurship, defence, security, and more.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their shared vision for a robust special strategic partnership rooted in mutual aspirations for peace, security and prosperity through technological innovations and entrepreneurship.