Jairam Ramesh
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday jabbed the Centre after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel, saying India was learning about its own government’s decisions from foreign leaders.PM Modi is set to travel to Israel on a two-day visit from February 25 to 26, news agency PTI repeorted citing sources. The visit was first mentioned by Netanyahu while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations on Sunday.Reacting to this, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh in a post on X wrote, “India hears of the halt to Operation Sindoor first from the US Secretary of State. India hears of the India-US trade deal first from the US President.” “Just now India has heard of Prime Minister Modi’s dates for his visit to Israel first from Mr. Netanyahu – who has reduced Gaza to rubble and dust and is now dispossessing and displacing more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,” Ramesh added.The Congress remarks also referred to the recently concluded interim India-US trade agreement, which was first announced by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform earlier this month. The party alleged that key diplomatic and trade decisions were being communicated abroad before being formally shared in India.“Parliament address on the anvil. Who’s coming here next week? Narendra Modi,” Netanyahu said at the gathering, highlighting what he described as a “tremendous alliance” between India and Israel.Meanwhile, a source in Jerusalem told PTI that PM Modi’s visit is “likely to be short from February 25 to 26”, but added that “its impact is deep given the popularity PM Modi enjoys not only in Israel but around the world”.The programme for the visit is still being worked out. However, PM Modi is expected to address the Israeli Knesset during his stay and discuss bilateral and regional issues. This will be his second visit to Israel, after his landmark trip in July 2017, the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.Netanyahu, speaking about the upcoming visit, described India as “enormously powerful” and “enormously popular” and said both sides would discuss expanding cooperation.India has consistently supported a “two-state solution” to the Israel-Gaza conflict, while also maintaining a strategic partnership with Israel. Last year, PM Modi and Netanyahu held a telephonic conversation and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. PM Modi had then said, “Spoke with my friend Prime Minister Netanyahu. We reviewed progress in the India-Israel Strategic Partnership and agreed to further strengthen our cooperation. Also reaffirmed our shared commitment to zero tolerance for terrorism. India supports all efforts aimed at achieving a just and durable peace in the region.”Netanyahu’s own visit to India has been on hold since 2023 following the October 7 Hamas attacks, which disrupted planned engagements.
