Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
NEW DELHI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India in December has been postponed due to security concerns following the blast in Delhi two weeks ago, according to a report by Israel’s I24News, as cited by ANI.The postponement comes in the backdrop of Netanyahu’s message of solidarity after the explosion, in which he emphasised the resilience of both nations against terrorism. “To our dear friend Narendra Modi and to the brave people of India: Sara and I, and the people of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Israel stands strong with you in sorrow and in strength in this time,” his statement read.
The deadly blast that happened near the Red Fort in the evening of November 10 killed at least 15 people while injuring several others. The probe has come to reveal a “white-collar terror network” while further investigation is still under way.Netanyahu’s last official visit to India took place in January 2018, a six-day trip that marked the second visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to the country. It followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in 2017. The latest development coincides with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent three-day visit to Israel, where he met Netanyahu and other key leaders. Goyal conveyed Modi’s warm wishes to the Israeli Prime Minister and briefed him on discussions with Minister Nir Barkat, as well as outcomes from the Business Forum and CEOs Forum.In a post on X, Goyal highlighted the signing of the Terms of Reference to launch Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, which are expected to boost trade, investment and technology cooperation. He also discussed strengthening innovation ties by combining Israel’s hi-tech strengths with India’s scale and talent.