New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to India next month, the Foreign Ministers of India and Israel – S. Jaishankar and Gideon Sa’ar — today held talks in New Delhi on enhancing bilateral ties and on the threat of terrorism that both countries face.
Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar’s visit is in preparation for PM Netanyahu’s visit to India planned for December, during which he is also slated to visit Mumbai and Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi’s home state, as a personal gesture
In addition, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz is slated to visit India in February, and President Isaac Herzog is to visit India too early next year.
While PM Modi had invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit India for the AI summit in February 2026, the Israeli prime minister has chosen to visit India sooner. The two leaders spoke over the phone on October 9, when PM Modi congratulated the Israeli Prime Minister on the progress made under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan.
During their bilateral talks today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Israeli FM Gideon Sa’ar spoke about the joint threat of terrorism that the two nations face.
The EAM said, in his remarks: “Our two nations face a particular challenge from terrorism. It is essential that we work towards ensuring a global approach of zero-tolerance towards terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister, in his remarks, emphasized that “radical terrorism is a common threat to Israel and India”, and firmly condemned “the terrible Pahalgham attack,” of April 22 in which terrorists gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists.
He also mentioned the phenomenon of “terrorist states” in the Middle East: “Terrorist states have been established in recent decades: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. Uprooting them is necessary for the stability and security of the region.”
“The dismantling of the terrorist state of Hamas is at the heart of the Trump plan. Hamas must disarm. Gaza must be demilitarized. We will not give up on this,” he insisted.
EAM Jaishankar said that India and Israel have a strategic partnership and that both nations have “stood together in testing times”, and the ties are imbued with “a high degree of trust and of reliability”.
Mentioning the Middle East situation, the EAM said that India “welcomes the return of the hostages and the remains of those who unfortunately lost their lives. India supports the Gaza Peace Plan and hopes that it paves the way for a durable and lasting solution”.
On bilateral ties, the EAM said the recent conclusion of the Bilateral Investment Agreement is a notable step in the direction of deepening ties. He said Indian businesses are very keen to explore opportunities in Israel in the field of rail, road and port infrastructure, in renewable energy and health. He also spoke about the close agricultural cooperation, and on taking it forward.
“There is a history of cooperation in semiconductors and in cyber. ..We are hosting the AI Impact Summit next year in February in India and look forward very much to Israel’s presence.”
Touching on the issue of Indian workers in Israel, EAM said their numbers are growing as a result of the mobility understandings. “They have some issues which need attention and I hope that we can take that dimension of our ties forward,” he added.
On bilateral ties, Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar said: “I believe that India is the future. India is the largest democracy in the world. India is the fastest-growing economy in the world. India is a global power, and Israel is a regional power.”
“There is already a warm friendship between our countries. Our goal is to build a long-term strategic partnership between the countries,” he added, and emphasised that Israel supports regional connectivity initiatives such as I2U2 and IMEC.
“We want to promote links between South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. I believe that the future of regional partnerships is promising,” the Israeli FM added.
During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries regarding cooperation in the training of diplomatic cadets.
This visit comes two months after the signing in early September of a bilateral investment agreement between the two nations, aimed at enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Appreciating India’s steadfast support, he said: “We appreciate Prime Minister Modi’s solidarity, and we remember that he was the first world leader to call Prime Minister Netanyahu after the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7. We will not forget it.”
In a post on X, he said: “I thank my friend External Affairs Minister of India @DrSJaishankar for the gracious hospitality in New Delhi.
“We had a fruitful discussion on bilateral relations and the mutual threat of terror. “I stressed that dismantling the Hamas terror state is at the heart of the Trump Plan and we won’t compromise on it.
“Israel is a regional powerhouse and a thriving democracy. India is a global superpower, the world’s largest democracy and fastest growing economy.
“Our goal is to build a long-term strategic partnership between our nations. We will get it done.”
