India joins Israel and the world for a dialogue, peace and stability in Middle East, says PM Modi at Knesset

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that India has joined Israel and the world for a dialogue, peace and stability in the Middle East region as he addressed the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, becoming the first Indian PM to have this honour.

Expressing India's firm support for the UN initiative, Modi said, "...The Gaza Peace Initiative, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council, offers a pathway."

"India has expressed its firm support for the initiative. We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue."


Let all our efforts be guided by wisdom, courage, and humanity, he said, the road to peace is not always easy, but India joins you and the world for dialogue, peace and stability in this region.

NSA Ajit Doval, EAM Dr S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Ambassador JP Singh and Ambassador Azar were also present in the Parliament. With 'Modi, Modi' chants, PM Modi received a standing ovation at the Knesset upon his arrival.

He condemned the "barbaric terrorist attack" by Hamas on October 7, 2023, saying, "We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond."

He reiterated India's consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism with no double standards. "Terrorism aims to destabilise societies, to block development and to erode trust. Countering terrorism requires sustained and coordinated global action because terror anywhere threatens peace everywhere. That is why India supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability," PM Modi said during his address at the Knesset.

'Natural foundation' for partnership

PM Modi highlighted that India's economic growth and Israel's innovation create 'natural foundation' for partnership.

On trade with Israel, he said that India is committed to expanding trade, strengthening investment flows, and promoting joint infrastructure development.

"Our bilateral goods trade has grown significantly in recent years, but it does not reflect the full scope of opportunity. That is why our teams are working hard to negotiate an ambitious free trade agreement. It will unlock the vast untapped potential in our trade relationship," PM Modi said.


The Indian prime minister highlighted that New Delhi's aspirational spirit aligns naturally with Israel's innovation ecosystem. "I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. We are also working with Israel on creating cross-border financial linkages using our digital public infrastructure," he said.

On the India-Israel alliance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "India is a gigantic power of almost one and a half billion people. Israel is somewhat smaller, but Israel is gigantic too. I want to say that the alliance between us is an enormous multiplier of our individual powers, an enormous multiplier. It's a multiplier of the spirit and the multiplier of deeds and capabilities."

He termed PM Modi as a 'brother,' saying that the two leaders have doubled trade, tripled cooperation and quadrupled understanding in ways that he cannot describe, and in some ways probably shouldn't describe.

The Israel Parliament conferred the "Speaker of the Knesset Medal" - the highest honour of the Knesset upon PM Modi. The medal was conferred in recognition of his exceptional contribution, through his personal leadership, to strengthen strategic relations between India and Israel.