The Prime Minister of India is on a two-day visit to Israel from February 25 to February 26, nine years after his first trip to the country. He addressed the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, and was conferred the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal” by Israel’s Parliament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian PM to receive the legislature’s highest honour. The award was presented by the Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana following PM Modi’s address to the Israeli Parliament. There is no meeting scheduled with Palestinian leaders during his visit. PM Modi was conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest Palestinian award in 2018.
The visit is significant as both the countries look to strengthen ties in defence, trade and technology. The relationship has grown significantly after Modi came to power more than a decade ago. Modi’s first visit to Israel was widely seen as a turning point in the relationship in 2017. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi’s visit a ‘historic’ one.
India has condemned the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 and expressed solidarity with Israel. It also expressed concern over civilian casualties in Gaza and reiterated its support for a two-state solution. The recent visit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. One major concern is Trump’s threat of military action against Iran. While Modi will praise India-Israel relationship, he will also make sure that India’s relation with other partners in Middle East do not get disturbed.
