Modi to Visit Israel on February 25–26, Set to Address Knesset

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Israel on a two-day visit from February 25 to 26, sources said on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first disclosed Modi’s visit while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Sunday.

"Parliament address on the anvil. Who's coming here next week? Narendra Modi," Netanyahu told the gathering.

"Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.4 billion people. India is enormously powerful, enormously popular," he stressed.

A source here told PTI that Modi’s visit is “likely to be short from February 25 to 26”, but “its impact is deep given the popularity Modi enjoys not only in Israel but around the world”.

While the programme for the visit is being finalised, Modi is expected to address the Knesset. He is likely to touch upon all issues of bilateral and regional interest during the two-day trip.

This would mark his second visit to Israel, the first having taken place in July 2017 — also the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.

The high-profile visit comes amid several high-level ministerial exchanges between the two sides. Tourism Minister Haim Katz, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited India last year as the strategic partners gathered momentum towards signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The two countries signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) during Smotrich’s visit, followed by a Terms of Reference (TOR) for the proposed FTA during the visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Israel in November.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Israel in December, when he called on Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Barkat.

In November, India and Israel signed a landmark agreement to boost defence, industrial and technological cooperation, enabling the sharing of advanced technology to promote co-development and co-production.

The Joint Working Group (JWG) of Israel and India met in Tel Aviv in November for its annual meeting, led by Israel Ministry of Defence (IMOD) Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram and Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

"This strategic dialogue with India takes place at a critical juncture for both countries. Our strategic partnership is based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests. We view India as a first-rate strategic partner and are determined to continue deepening cooperation in the fields of defence, technology, and industry," Baram had said after the meeting.

Separately, a special panel was convened with the CEOs of major defence industries, where innovative and groundbreaking Israeli technologies were showcased, alongside ideas and projects aimed at strengthening industrial-defence partnerships between Israel’s defence industries and India.

"A wide range of areas for cooperation have been identified in the agreement that will benefit both countries. Important areas include joint planning, training, defence industrial cooperation, and capabilities including Science & Technology, Research & Development, Technological Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security cooperation," a defence source told PTI.

"It will enable sharing of advanced technology and would help promote co-development and co-production", he added.

The teams also deliberated on various issues of mutual concern, including shared challenges posed by terrorism.