Modi aims to strengthen ties with Israel as Netanyahu inches closer to another term

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday congratulated his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu who appears to be headed towards a victory in parliamentary polls in his country. Calling Netanyahu a "great friend of India", Modi said he would like to take the bilateral ties to newer heights with his Israeli friend.

"My dear friend Bibi, Congratulations! You are a great friend of India, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to take our bilateral partnership to new heights," Modi tweeted, tagging Netanyahu. The two prime ministers share a personal rapport. In 2017, Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Israel, where Netanyahu received him at the airport.

Netanyahu appeared to be headed towards a historic fifth term as Israel's Prime Minister on Wednesday, with close-to-complete unofficial election results giving his right-wing Likud and other nationalist and religious parties a solid majority in parliament.