SRINAGAR: During his two-day state visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s unwavering support for Israel in the fight against terrorism.
Making history, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, where he emphasized that terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere and highlighted India’s firm commitment to combating it. His speech received multiple rounds of applause from Israeli lawmakers.
Prime Minister Modi also spoke about India’s rapid economic growth, noting that the country is on track to become one of the world’s top three economies. In recognition of his efforts to strengthen strategic ties between India and Israel, he was awarded the ‘Speaker of the Knesset Medal,’ the highest honour of the Israeli Parliament, becoming the first foreign leader to receive it.
Earlier, Modi held a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, reviewing the full range of bilateral relations and exploring expanded cooperation in water management, agriculture, technology, and other sectors. On Thursday, he is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to pay tribute to Holocaust victims and participate in a prayer ceremony.
He will also meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog and engage in delegation-level talks with Netanyahu covering science and technology, innovation, defence and security, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties, with agreements expected to be signed. The visit will conclude with interactions with members of the Indian-origin Jewish community before Modi returns to India later in the day.
