- Modi expresses his condolences to the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
- States that India supports efforts towards lasting peace and regional stability.
- Netanyahu welcomes India’s support and calls it a defensive wall against barbarism.
JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in Jerusalem on Wednesday that India stands “firmly” with Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Modi also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a two-day visit aimed at deepening trade and defense ties, which drew criticism at home.
“I carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered by the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7,” Modi told the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
“We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands firmly with Israel with full conviction at this time and beyond.”
In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
But he said India “supports all efforts that contribute to lasting peace and regional stability.”
Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country’s economic growth and Israel’s leadership in technological innovation provided a “natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership.”
“I see many synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence,” he added.
Netanyahu told Modi that “India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a defensive wall against barbarism,” adding that his visit will allow them to “further strengthen our ties.”
This is Modi’s second visit to Israel as prime minister since taking office in 2014.
“A true friendship”
Earlier on Wednesday, a red carpet was rolled out at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and Modi was greeted with a hug by Netanyahu as he disembarked from the plane.
“The two leaders share a special and personal relationship,” Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, said in a video posted on X.
“The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance as we are partners in innovation, security and share a common strategic vision,” she added.
Netanyahu’s office said the two right-wing leaders held a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony, with the Israeli prime minister hailing it as “true friendship.”
In an article on X, Modi called the meeting “excellent”.
“We discussed a wide range of issues aimed at deepening and strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries,” he said.
The two men “had an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region,” he added.
Modi is also expected to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit.
New Delhi has continued to expand cooperation with Israel in defense, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity sectors, while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East.
Talks opened in New Delhi on Monday for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Israel, the Indian government said in a statement, noting that trade in goods had reached $3.62 billion in 2024-25.
Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Ties deepened after Hindu nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014.
Review at home
Modi first visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu made a reciprocal visit to India the following year.
In 2023, major plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, intended to connect railways, ports, electricity, data networks and pipelines, including via Saudi Arabia and Israel.
These plans were blocked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which responded with a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
A few months after his visit to Israel in 2017, Modi visited Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.
His current visit has sparked criticism at home.
Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi, sister of opposition leader Rahul, said on social media on Wednesday that she hoped Modi would mention the killing of “thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza” during his speech to the Israeli parliament.
India, the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, is predominantly Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim.
One of India’s largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates Israel’s Haifa port, while Israeli military drone technology played a central role in India’s May 2025 clash with Pakistan.
