JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in Jerusalem on Wednesday that India stands “firmly” with Israel following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a two-day visit aimed at deepening trade and defence ties that has drawn criticism at home.
“I… carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7,” Modi said in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
“We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond.”
In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
But he said that India “supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability”.
Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country’s economic growth and Israel’s leadership in technological innovation formed a “natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership”.
“I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence,” he added.
It is Modi’s second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014.
- ‘A real friendship’ -
Earlier on Wednesday, a red carpet was rolled out at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport and Modi was greeted with a hug by Netanyahu as he disembarked the plane.
“The two leaders share a special and a personal relationship,” Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Netanyahu’s office, said in a video posted on X.
“The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance as we are partners in innovation, security and a shared strategic vision,” she added.
Netanyahu’s office said the two right-wing leaders held a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony, with the Israeli premier hailing “a real friendship”.
In a post on X, Modi described the meeting as “excellent”.
“We discussed a wide range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between our two countries,” he said.
The pair “held an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region”, he added.
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