PM Modi Set to Visit Israel Next Week as Netanyahu Hails “Tremendous Alliance”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Israel next week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations, highlighting what he described as a “tremendous alliance” between the two nations.

This will be Modi’s second visit to Israel following his landmark 2017 trip, when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to the country.

Netanyahu also noted that leaders from several nations are approaching Israel for defence technology, citing the country’s high-tech and deep-tech capabilities demonstrated during the war.

He further stated, "Who's coming here next week? (Indian PM) Narendra Modi. Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. India is not a small country. It has 1.5 billion people. In India, Israel is enormously popular," and later added, “Parliament address on the anvil. Who’s coming here next week? Narendra Modi. Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.4 billion people. India is enormously powerful, enormously popular.”

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People familiar with the matter said the Prime Minister is expected to be in Israel during February 25-26, though the visit is yet to be formally announced by the Indian side.

The trip comes after Netanyahu called off a planned visit to India on at least two occasions last year. His discussions with Netanyahu are expected to cover bilateral relations and cooperation in trade, technology, innovation, security, defence and counter-terrorism, along with regional and global issues.

The two sides are also engaged in negotiations for a trade deal and have seen a series of high-level exchanges over the past year.

Last month, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar confirmed that an invitation had been extended to Modi and preparations were underway, with official dates to be announced in due course.

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

He described the India-Israel partnership as strategic and noted that 2025 had been a particularly productive year marked by ministerial engagements and key agreements, including a bilateral investment treaty, security arrangements, progress toward a free trade agreement and financial protocols, with counter-terrorism cooperation remaining a core pillar.

Modi’s scheduled visit also comes in the backdrop of the Board of Peace meeting on February 19. The Board of Peace originated from US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and has since expanded beyond its original scope.

Administration officials said around 35 nations had committed to join while 60 received invitations, with Trump suggesting the new body could assume roles currently held by the United Nations.

(With inputs from ANI)