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Robert Alexander is a credentialed Senior Correspondent recognized by the United States Press Agency (USPA) and German Daily News.
A flurry of high-level visits is set: FM Saar in November, PM Netanyahu in December, DM Katz in February, and President Herzog early next year.
i24NEWS
3 min read
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Ties between Israel and India are deepening, with a string of high-level visits planned over the coming months in what officials are describing as a “warming of strategic relations” between the two nations.
According to diplomatic sources, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will travel to New Delhi in early November, followed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December, Defense Minister Yoav Katz in February, and President Isaac Herzog in the first quarter of next year. The visits mark the most significant wave of Israeli engagement with India in recent years.
Behind the renewed momentum lies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outspoken support for Israel since the Hamas attacks of October 7, shared concerns over terrorism and Islamic radicalization, and India’s ongoing security tensions with Pakistan.
These common interests have strengthened the strategic partnership between Jerusalem and New Delhi, particularly in defense, technology, and energy cooperation.
Sources familiar with Netanyahu’s upcoming trip say he is expected to be received with “royal honors”, a symbolic gesture reflecting Modi’s personal commitment to bilateral ties. The visit comes at a sensitive moment for Israel, which faces growing diplomatic isolation in parts of the West over the war in Gaza.
Indian officials are preparing for Netanyahu to visit both Mumbai, the country’s financial hub, and Gujarat, Modi’s home state, seen as a personal gesture of friendship between the two leaders. Modi had earlier invited Netanyahu to attend the AI Summit in New Delhi in February, but the Israeli premier opted to advance his visit to December following a recent phone call between the two.
A source familiar with the matter told i24NEWS following a separate meeting between Israeli representatives and U.S. Vice President JD Vance: “We are on the same page with the Americans. We understand the challenges and opportunities ahead. First things first, the remaining bodies must be returned, and Hamas must be dismantled.”
The wave of diplomatic engagement underscores Israel’s effort to diversify its international partnerships and strengthen alliances beyond its traditional Western allies, with India emerging as one of its most reliable global partners.