Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Israel on a two-day visit from Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will personally receive him at the airport. PM Modi is scheduled to address the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) today. A private dinner will also be hosted in his honour by Prime Minister Netanyahu.
During the visit, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks. This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel in the past nine years. During his earlier trip from July 4 to 6, 2017, India and Israel elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership. The two countries share strong cooperation in areas such as science and technology, innovation, defence and security, trade and investment, agriculture, water management and people-to-people ties.
High-Level Engagements Over the Years
Prime Minister Netanyahu visited India from January 14 to 19, 2018. On January 11, 2023, PM Modi congratulated Netanyahu over a phone call after he was elected Prime Minister for a sixth term.
On August 24, 2023, Netanyahu called PM Modi to congratulate him on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3. On October 10, 2023, following the October 7 terror attacks, Netanyahu briefed PM Modi on the situation in Israel.
On June 6, 2024, Netanyahu congratulated PM Modi on being elected Prime Minister of India for a third consecutive term and later extended Independence Day greetings in August. On April 24, 2025, he called PM Modi to express condolences over the Pahalgam terror attack.
After the outbreak of the Israel-Iran conflict on June 13, 2025, the two leaders spoke twice. On October 9, 2025, PM Modi congratulated Netanyahu on the progress made under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The two leaders also discussed regional developments on December 10, 2025, and exchanged New Year greetings on January 7, 2026.
Ministerial-Level Engagements
In 2025, several Israeli ministers, including those handling agriculture, tourism, trade and economy, finance and foreign affairs, visited India. From India’s side, the Ministers of Commerce and Industry, External Affairs, and Fisheries and Animal Husbandry travelled to Israel during the year.
Science, Technology and Innovation
Cooperation in science and technology remains a key pillar of bilateral ties. Key areas include startups, joint research and development projects, the India–Israel Industrial Innovation Fund (I4F), artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Defence cooperation is a major component of the India–Israel partnership. In November 2025, during the visit of India’s Defence Secretary to Israel, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation.
Trade and Economic Relations
In November 2025, during Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Israel, both countries signed the Terms of Reference to initiate negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Earlier, in September 2025, during Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s visit to India, a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) was signed to boost economic cooperation, protect investors and promote cross-border investments.
Agriculture and Water Technology
Agriculture remains an area of long-term collaboration. Of the 43 Centres of Excellence approved across Indian states, 35 are fully operational, promoting modern farming techniques, irrigation systems and water technology.
In April 2025, during the visit of Israel’s Agriculture Minister to India, a revised agreement on agricultural cooperation and the Sixth Three-Year Joint Work Plan (2024–26) were signed.
People-to-People Ties
More than 41,000 members of the Indian diaspora reside in Israel. In November 2023, both countries signed a bilateral framework agreement to facilitate temporary, safe and legal employment for Indian workers in Israel. Since then, around 20,000 Indian workers have travelled to Israel.
Regional and Multilateral Cooperation
India welcomed the comprehensive plan announced by US President Donald Trump on October 13, 2025, aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, and continues to support efforts toward a just and lasting peace in the region.
India and Israel are also members of the I2U2 grouping (India, Israel, UAE and the United States), which focuses on cooperation in food security, renewable energy, trade and infrastructure projects.
