PM Modi reaches Israel for two day visit, holds private meeting with Netanyahu at airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a red-carpet welcome as he landed in Israel on Wednesday to meet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu who received the Indian leader along with wife Sara at the Ben Gurion airport. The two leaders held a private meeting at the airport after the welcoming ceremony.

Netanyahu welcomed him with a warm hug, following which Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport, located 20 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv. As he welcome the Indian PM, Netanyahu said, "This is a bond of real friendship."

In a post on X, PM Modi said he was delighted to return to Israel after nine years. They discussed a wide range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries. "Areas such as technology, water resource management, agriculture, cooperation in the field of human capital, and more, hold significant potential for expanding our collaboration," the Indian PM said.


We also held an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region, he added.

This marks PM Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The countries elevated the India-Israel relationship to the level of strategic partnership during Modi's first visit to in July 2017.

PM Modi will address Israel's parliament Knesset later in the day and will have a one-on-one conversation with Netanyahu. The two leaders will hold wide-ranging bilateral talks on Thursday.

PM Modi's departure statement ahead of Israel visit

In his pre-departure statement, the prime minister said that he was confident that this visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between India and Israel and set new goals for the strategic partnership.

"India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism in recent years," Modi said.

"I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu aimed at further strengthening our cooperation across various domains, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, defence and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties," he added.

Modi said he will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest with Netanyahu.

"I am confident that my State Visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between the two countries, set new goals for the strategic partnership, and advance our shared vision for a resilient, innovative and prosperous future," Modi said.

Modi's visit to Israel assumes great significance as it takes place amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran.

India-Israel ties have experienced an upswing in the last few years, including in the areas of defence, scientific research, cybersecurity and innovation.

Defence cooperation between the two nations has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership, with Israel supplying a plethora of military platforms and weapon systems to India.

India and Israel signed an important agreement on defence cooperation last year during the visit of India's defence secretary to Israel.

India's commerce minister Piyush Goyal visited Israel in last November when the two countries signed the term of reference (ToR) for the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations

In September 2025, the two sides had inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.