India-Israel Relations: A Growing Strategic Partnership Paved by Historic Visits

Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, highlights the robust relationship between the two nations, marked by historic visits and strong people-to-people ties. Gilon lauds Prime Minister Modi's 2017 Israel visit and PM Netanyahu's 2018 India visit as game changers. He emphasizes India as a growing and coveted global power.

Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, reaffirmed the strong relationship between India and Israel, describing it as positive on all fronts. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark visit to Israel in 2017 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 2018 visit to India as transformative moments for bilateral ties. These visits, he termed as game changers, marked the first time an Indian PM visited Israel, solidifying their strategic partnership.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Gilon highlighted the unique people-to-people ties, which he believes are key to the strong relations between the two nations. He noted the trend of Israelis visiting India after completing their military service and emphasized the deep historical ties, pointing out that Jews have lived in India for 2,500 years, contributing to various sectors including schools, hospitals, and libraries.

Gilon also touched upon the strategic partnership, celebrated with the 30th anniversary of full diplomatic relations in 2022-23. He praised Indian leaders like PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, calling them staunch supporters of Israel. He acknowledged India's growing global influence and emphasized that India's supportive public sentiment towards Israel facilitates easy political alignment. PM Modi's condemnation of Hamas' recent attack on Israel, while advocating for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, further underscores the nuanced stance of India in global affairs.

(With inputs from agencies.)