Israeli PM Netanyahu meets Indian envoy, vows to deepen strategic ties

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with India’s Ambassador to Israel, J.P. Singh, to discuss ways to further strengthen the growing India-Israel Strategic Partnership.

The two sides explored expanding cooperation in key sectors, including security and economics. During the engagement, Prime Minister Netanyahu also interacted with senior Indian journalists, addressing a range of questions on bilateral and regional issues.

“I met today in my office in Jerusalem with the Ambassador of India to Israel, J.P. Singh. We discussed strengthening and expanding cooperation between Israel and India, particularly in the fields of security and economics – an important partnership based on shared values and interests. Afterwards, I held a meeting with a group of senior journalists from India and answered their questions,” Netanyahu posted on X.

According to the Indian Embassy in Israel, PM Netanyahu stressed the need to further deepen the India-Israel Strategic Partnership. Ambassador Singh conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and assured to strengthen the positive trajectory of the bilateral relations between India and Israel.

Last month, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held a bilateral meeting with Director General(DG) of the Israel Ministry of Defence Amir Baram in New Delhi. The two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation with a long-term perspective. They concurred to work towards developing an institutional framework for further deepening of defence ties.

The Israeli DG condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and conveyed full support for India’s fight against terrorism. Defence Secretary Singh reiterated India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and condemned the October 07, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel and called for the release of all hostages.

The two sides also reviewed the progress of the ongoing defence collaboration activities since the last Joint Working Group meeting held in July 2024 in India. The visit by the Israeli DG marked a pivotal step in India-Israel defence relations and reinforced both sides’ commitment to enhancing their strategic partnership.

–IANS