PM Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu issue a joint statement in New Delhi today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave a joint statement in which both leaders promised to take bilateral ties to greater heights. Mr Netanyahu was given a ceremonial welcome today morning at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, before he held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi, who broke protocol on Sunday to receive his Israeli counterpart at the airport as he arrived in India on a six-day visit. Last night, PM Modi hosted Mr Netanyahu and his wife Sara for a private dinner minus senior officials. Mr Netanyahu has called India's relationship with Israel a "marriage made in heaven" and said that even though his country is "disappointed" by India's vote at the UN against recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, "this visit is a testimony that our relationship is moving on so many fronts forward."
Here's your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:
- The two Prime Ministers, after holding summit talks at Delhi's Hyderabad House today, gave a joint statement. They discussed a range of key issues including defence, trade and terrorism. Mr Netanyahu is accompanied by a 130-member business delegation, the largest ever from Israel, and the two countries hope to deepen ties in trade and defence.
- New Delhi and Tel Aviv signed nine agreements covering various sectors, including defence, oil and gas, renewable energy, amended protocol for airports, cyber security, and co-production of films and documentaries.
- Mr Netanyahu called PM Modi "a revolutionary leader" for being the first leader from India to visit Israel "in 3,000 years", adding "your visit was truly historic." The Israeli prime minister said he was thrilled about the film production agreement. "My wife and I are very happy that we are going to Bollywood," the Israeli prime minister said.
- PM Modi said he has invited Israeli defence firms to do business in India, especially after the liberalised foreign direct investment policies of the government to boost the government's "Make in India" programme. His Israeli counterpart went on to hard sell India-Israel cooperation in technology, saying, "Israel is a fountainhead of innovation; India has enormous talent," Mr Netanyahu said.
- PM Modi greeted Mr Netanyahu with a hand shake and a hug at the airport on Sunday. He tweeted a photo and said, "Welcome to India, my friend PM @netanyahu! Your visit to India is historic and special. It will further cement the close friendship between our nations."
- The Prime Minister will accompany Mr Netanyahu, only the second Israeli PM to visit India and the first since Ariel Sharon in 2003, on most of his visits during his six-day tour. The Israeli PM is also expected to visit Mumbai and PM Modi's home state Gujarat, where the two leaders will hold a joint road show on Wednesday.
- The Israeli prime minister said India's negative vote in the UN will not affect ties. "Yes, naturally we were disappointed, but this visit is a testimony that our relationship is moving on so many fronts forward," Mr Netanyahu said in an interview to India Today, adding, "I don't think one vote affects a general trend you can see in many other votes and these visits."
- Last month, India joined 127 other countries to vote in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution opposing the recent decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The resolution was approved with 127-9 at the UN General Assembly.
- Over the last two years, India has slowly moved towards de-hyphenating Israel and Palestine, towards which the country had a definite slant in the past. PM Modi's visit to Israel last year was the first by an Indian Prime Minister.
- Just before Mr Netanyahu's visit, India called off a deal to buy 8,000 anti-tank guided missiles from Israel's state-owned defence contractor Rafael. The Indian Army and the government are reportedly discussing ways to revive the $500 million order, which was scrapped when the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation offered to build similar missiles locally.
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