Bibi’s India trip may revive missile deal

NEW DELHI: India-Israel ties are “irreversible”, Israeli envoy Daniel Carmon said in the run-up to the first visit to India by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, starting Sunday evening, during which the two countries are expected to “enrich the content” of their already deep bilateral relations with agreements in areas as diverse as defence, agriculture, cyber and people-topeople contacts.

Netanyahu’s visit comes after India voted in the UN against US’ decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, a vote Israel wanted otherwise. In addition, the defence ministry last week announced cancellation of a deal for Spike anti-tank missiles, a decision that was judged to be most ill-timed. Both sides have worked to undo the potential damage of these developments. When asked, MEA senior official Bala Bhaskar said, “Our policy is not influenced by any third country... our policy is independent.”

Recent reports said India is reconsidering the Spike cancellation. Carmon said the Spike project is an example of “Israeli company engaging in Make in India” because it can be implemented through partnership. “A plant that is ready to use, inaugurated a few months ago and I saw the production line in Hyderabad. It is a contribution to the Indian economy. If there is a problem, I hope it will be solved,” he said.


Netanyahu will be flying in with a 130-member business delegation as well as top officials from the Israel Innovation Authority and Israel’s National Trade Commission. Innovation is the new sauce in the bilateral mix which will be seen not only through the meetings between Israeli and Indian start-ups, but also the inauguration of iCreate, an innovation hub in Gujarat.

Netanyahu will spend a day in Ahmedabad, a sort of personal day out with PM Narendra Modi, including a visit to Gandhi Ashram. Israel will inaugurate the 22nd centre of excellence in agriculture to coincide with Netanyahu’s visit and completion of 25 years’ celebrations of diplomatic relations.

Carmon said a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is “on the agenda” but acknowledged that the two countries had different priorities despite the fact that there were so many “complementarities” between India and Israel.

The official component of the visit will be completed on Monday with all the pomp of a state visit. The MEA said Modi and Netanyahu will hold talks to deepen the “very very special relationship”. “... We want to take it to a higher level,” said Bhaskar. On Tuesday, Netanyahu will deliver the keynote address at the Raisina Dialogue.

On January 15, Netanyahu will meet the Indo-Israeli CEO forum here and address a separate business event. Carmon said the visit will focus on the progress made between India and Israel since Modi’s visit to Israel last summer.