PM Narendra Modi & Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu join hands to combat terrorism

NEW DELHI: India and Israel on Wednesday announced that the two countries will safeguard each other’s strategic interests and cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, besides concluding seven agreements in development and space sectors during the maiden visit by an Indian PM to Jerusalem.

The two sides also decided to jointly develop defence products in the future with transfer of Israeli technology under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. In a visit marked by extraordinary warmth and friendly gestures, the two sides, both victims of terror, decided to walk the extra mile to counter the menace. “India and Israel live in complex geographies. We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel,” PM Modi said in his press statement following talks with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.



“...Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism,” Modi said.

The two leaders emphasised the importance of enhanced dialogue between their national cyber authorities and expressed their commitment to expand and accelerate cooperation in this sphere including laying a mutual roadmap for its implementation. The two PMs also discussed the situation in West Asia and beyond.

“It is India’s hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail,” Modi said at the joint presser with his host. The two leaders discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements. The joint statement said “the leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups”.