India and Israel pledge to boost cooperation on trade, defence

Narendra Modi’s go to to Israel has drawn criticism at house amid tensions over Israel’s genocidal conflict on Gaza.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India and Israel will collaborate extra carefully on defence expertise whereas pursuing a free commerce settlement, as he wrapped up a controversial two-day go to.

Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu stated at a joint information convention in Jerusalem on Thursday that they might additionally foster collaboration on applied sciences, resembling synthetic intelligence and cybersecurity, as their nations concluded greater than a dozen bilateral agreements.

“The longer term belongs to those that innovate and Israel and India are bent on innovation,” stated Netanyahu. “We’re proud historical civilisations, very happy with our previous. However completely decided to seize the longer term, and we will do it higher collectively.”

A joint assertion highlighted cooperation within the area of “horizon scanning”, describing it as a mechanism that “helps determine rising world traits in areas like expertise, economic system and society, by leveraging knowledge”.

Israel additionally agreed to enable 50,000 extra Indian nationals into the nation, the place tens of hundreds of South Asians have crammed development and caregiving jobs since new restrictions had been positioned on Palestinian employees initially of its conflict on Gaza.

Strategic embrace

Modi’s go to, his second since he took workplace in 2014, has drawn criticism at house, signalling an ongoing growth of India’s strategic embrace of Israel amid ongoing tensions over Israel’s genocidal conflict in opposition to Palestinians in Gaza, which has killed greater than 72,000 individuals.

Confirming their rising ties, the leaders’ joint assertion referenced the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, and an April 2025 assault on vacationers and civilians in Pahalgam, in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

“Terrorism can’t be accepted in any type or expression,” stated Modi, who has traditionally supported the institution of a Palestinian state but has typically abstained from criticism of Israel in worldwide boards, together with the United Nations.

Earlier this month, India was among the many nations that condemned Israeli measures to successfully deepen its management over the occupied West Financial institution.

Each nations additionally lauded United States President Donald Trump’s plan to advance the “ceasefire” within the Gaza Strip.