PM Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu will hold summit talks in New Delhi today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was given a ceremonial welcome today morning at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, before he holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra 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 will hold summit talks at Delhi's Hyderabad House from noon today and are expected to issue a joint statement later. 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 are expected to sign a number of deals covering various sectors, including defence, oil and gas, renewable energy, amended protocol for airports, cyber security, and co-production of films and documentaries.
- 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.
- "Indian Prime Minister Modi is a close friend of Israel and of mine," Mr Netyanyahu said in a statement ahead of his visit. "This visit is an opportunity to enhance cooperation with a global economic, security, technology and tourism power."
- 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.
- Israel is a major weapons supplier to India, exporting an average of $1 billion of military equipment each year, but PM Modi wants to end India's status as the world's top defence importer as he pitches "Make in India."
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