Israel Confirms Invitation to PM Modi, Signals Deeper Strategic Ties

Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Wednesday confirmed that an invitation has been extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Israel, saying preparations are underway and official announcements on dates will be made in due course.

“The invitation was extended. We are in preparations, and in due time, there will be declarations regarding specific dates,” Azar told ANI on the sidelines of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in New Delhi.

Describing India–Israel ties as a strategic partnership, the Ambassador said 2025 had been an especially productive year, marked by frequent ministerial engagements and the signing of several key agreements. These include a bilateral investment treaty, security agreements, and steady progress towards finalising a free trade agreement and financial protocols, he said, adding that counter-terrorism cooperation remains a core pillar of the relationship.

“We have had an amazing year in 2025. We have signed several agreements and are working towards finalising the free trade agreement. This partnership is strategic in nature, and we are looking forward to enhancing it further in 2026,” Azar said.

Speaking on the significance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed annually on January 27, the Israeli envoy said the occasion serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of hatred, intolerance and racial supremacy. “The Holocaust was a systematic murder of Jewish people driven by a terrible ideology. Lack of tolerance can lead to very terrible results for humanity, and we have a shared responsibility to prevent that,” he said.

Azar also praised India’s civilisational tradition of tolerance, noting that Jewish communities in India have historically lived without facing persecution. “Jews have enjoyed their presence here, and we deeply appreciate that. This is part of the great friendship between our two civilisations,” he said.

The day commemorates the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime during World War II. According to the United Nations, January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp in 1945.

Earlier at the event, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri drew parallels between the Holocaust and contemporary terrorism, referring to the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. He said India is “too familiar with such mindless brutality,” recalling its own experience with cross-border terrorism.

Misri reiterated India’s strong condemnation of the October 7 attack and recalled Prime Minister Modi’s statement of solidarity with Israel. “India stands with the people of Israel in the fight against terrorism,” he said.

Warning against the normalisation of prejudice and hate, Misri said, “The Holocaust did not begin with the extinguishing of life. It began with words—words of hatred, words of dehumanisation, words of exclusion.” He stressed that remembering the Holocaust is both a moral obligation and a commitment to ensure such atrocities are never repeated.

(With inputs from ANI)