Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will officially visit India for the first time on Saturday, 2 April 2022, on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two leaders initially met last October on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, when PM Modi asked PM Bennett to visit India on an official basis, according to the statement.
This visit will emphasize the significant relationship between the two nations and their leaders, as well as commemorate the 30th anniversary of Israel-India diplomatic relations. The visit is reportedly for four days, from April 2 to April 5.
During his trip, Bennett will meet with his Indian counterpart, key government officials, and members of the local Jewish community.
The mission of this visit is to advance and enhance the countries’ strategic alliance as well as strengthen bilateral ties. The leaders will also explore ways to improve cooperation in a range of areas, including innovation, the economy, research and development, agriculture, and more.
After India built an embassy in Tel Aviv in 1992, full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established. For many years, the bilateral relationship was focused on defence and agriculture, but in recent years, the relationship has expanded rapidly over a wide range of topics.
Bennett on his visit
Bennett credited PM Modi for “restarting relations between India and Israel”, and also said that “relations between our two unique cultures are deep, and they rely on deep appreciation and meaningful collaborations.”
He also said that ‘they can learn many things from India and its people, and that’s what they aim to do. Together they will expand their cooperation to other areas from technology and innovation, security and cyber, to climate change and agriculture.’
India-Israel’s Relations through the years
- Despite the fact that New Delhi recognized Israel in 1950, relations between the two countries remained tense for a long time, owing to India’s huge Muslim population and its leadership position in the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement. Completely diplomatic relations were established in 1992.
- Relations between India and Israel developed during the leadership of former Indian Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, concluding in the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s first visit to the country in 2003.
- Bilateral defence, commercial, and diplomatic connections have grown in recent years, with Modi — a member of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party like Vajpayee — being the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel in 2017.
- Bennett’s predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu and Modi are close personal friends who often showered each other with public praise and good wishes. Netanyahu placed a framed photograph of himself with the Indian premier strolling barefoot on an Israeli beach in his Jerusalem office, where all visiting leaders could see it.
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Bennett’s predecessor, and Modi are close friends who have bestowed public praise and well wishes on each other many times.
- Netanyahu even placed a framed photograph of himself and Modi wandering barefoot on an Israeli beach in his Jerusalem office, which was visible to all visiting dignitaries.
- Despite the fact that Netanyahu is no longer in office, bilateral relations between the two continue to progress.
- Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar praised the business relationship between his country and Israel during a trip to Israel last year.
- He offered an invitation to Bennett to visit India, at meeting with CEOs and Government officials and said that India regards Israel ‘in many ways as perhaps our most trusted and innovative partner.”
Published By : Ankit Singh
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
