Tel AvivA day after Benjamin Netanyahu called India and Israel “sister democracies” Israeli premier described the burgeoning cooperation between the two countries as a match made in heaven.
“This is a marriage made in heaven, but we are implementing it here on earth,” Netanyahu said, drawing a round of applause from the audience of mediapersons and diplomats.
Netanyahu was addressing a press conference with the visiting Indian premier Narendra Modi after two sides agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and growing radicalisation.
“India has suffered first hand the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel,” Modi said while jointly addressing the media with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu after delegation-level talks.
“The Prime Minister and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalization,” Modi said.
Modi, who arrived in Israel on Friday, is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Middle Eastern country. The two countries are celebrating this year the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Modi said the goal of India and Israel was to build a relationship that reflected the shared priorities and drew on the enduring bonds between people of the two countries.
“We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership.”
He said he and Netanyahu had productive discussions not only on bilateral cooperation but also on issues of global peace and stability.
On people-to-people ties, Modi said that while there had been an increase in the number of Israeli tourists visiting India, more and more Indian students were coming to Israel for higher studies.
Netanyahu said Modi’s visit had been “a deeply moving moment” for him personally.
He said while the Israel-India match was a match made in heaven, he and Modi had agreed to go ahead with their plans with “feet firmly planted on the ground”.
“We are being challenged by the forces of terrorism. We will cooperate in this area,” he said.
Netanyahu said he and the Indian leader discussed cooperation in many areas, including agriculture and water management.
Following Wednesday’s talks, India and Israel signed seven agreements, including three on cooperation in space technology, two on water, one on agriculture and one on setting up an India-Israel industrial R&D and technological innovation fund.
Earlier on Wednesday, Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin who broke protocol and welcomed the Indian leader with a hug as he alighted from the car ahead of the meeting.
“I am very grateful to the President for welcoming me so warmly,” Modi told the media. “He broke protocol and came out to the alighting point to welcome me. This is a mark of respect for the people of India.”
Later on Wednesday, Modi is scheduled to meet Moshe Holtzberg, whose young Jewish parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, were killed during the attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai in the 26/11 terror attacks.
Modi arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday in what is the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to Israel. This year, both countries are marking the 25th anniversary of establishment of full diplomatic ties.
The most important PM of the world is coming: How Israeli press is reporting on Narendra Modis visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modis historic visit to Israel commenced on Tuesday. He was received at the airport by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who called him my friend and welcomed him saying, Aapka swagat hai, mere dost. Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the country, said it was an honour to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel. The two countries are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations.
On his first day in Israel, PM Modi visited the Danziger flower farm, where a fast-growing Israeli Chrysanthemum flower was named in his honour. Later, he was taken to Yad Vashem, to honour the memory of the victims of The Holocaust. Here, he raised the issue of terrorism, saying, Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs. As such, we must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that plague our time. Modi, accompanied by Netanyahu, later made an unscheduled visit to Mt Herzl in Jerusalem to pay their respects to the modern Zionism founder Theodore Herzl.