Netanyahu invites PM Modi to light torch together with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on Israel's Independence Day

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that he has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a torch alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchar on Israel’s Independence Day.

In a post on X, Netanyahu said Modi had thanked him for the invitation and described India and Israel as jointly fighting terrorism “on land and in the air”. Netanyahu added that Modi had also commended the strong, decades-old ties between the two countries.



"Spoke with my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and invited him to light the torch alongside a brave Indian pilot on Israel’s Independence Day. Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that on land and in the air, India and Israel are fighting terrorism together. He also commended the strong and decades-old ties between us," Netanyahu wrote.

PM Modi and Netanyahu also welcomed the sustained momentum in India-Israel relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

"The leaders also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's call for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

In a post on X, PM Modi said he received a phone call from the Israeli prime minister.

"We reviewed the sustained momentum in our bilateral ties and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our partnership. We also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region," he said.

Prime Minister Modi had made a state visit to Israel from February 25 to 26. The two leaders had then agreed and decided to elevate the Strategic Partnership to a new level -- 'A Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity'.

Modi had then said that India's security interest was linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supported the Gaza Peace Initiative.

They also had telephonic talks during the US-Iran and Iran conflict.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu had called Indian pilot Smit Machchhar a "hero of the entire world" for foiling an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound flight, as he spoke with him over the phone.

Captain Machchhar was attacked and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month.