India’s Modi visits Israel: What’s on the agenda, and why it matters
#Modi #Israel #India relations #Middle East tensions #Security agreements #Economic cooperation #Netanyahu #Geopolitical alliances
📌 Key Takeaways
- Modi and Netanyahu aim to bolster strategic economic and defense agreements during the visit
- India and Israel are discussing AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies cooperation
- Relations have significantly improved since Modi came to power in 2014
- The visit occurs amid complex geopolitical tensions in the Middle East
📖 Full Retelling
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, landing at Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv to discuss upgrading security and economic agreements amid rising regional tensions in the Middle East. Modi's itinerary includes a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the airport, followed by talks and an address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem. On the second day, the Indian leader will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with both leaders expected to oversee the signing of new bilateral agreements before Modi's departure. The visit marks Modi's second trip to Israel, following his historic 2017 visit that made him the first Indian prime minister ever to travel to the country. The relationship between India and Israel has transformed significantly since Modi came to power in 2014, with trade jumping from $200 million in 1992 to $6.5 billion in 2024, making India Israel's second-largest trading partner in Asia after China. This visit occurs at a complex geopolitical moment, coming just a week after India joined more than 100 countries in condemning Israel's expansion in the occupied West Bank, while Netanyahu has proposed forming a new 'hexagon' alliance including India to counter 'radical' Sunni and Shia-majority nations in the region.
🏷️ Themes
Geopolitics, International Relations, Strategic Cooperation
📚 Related People & Topics
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India since 2014
Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the member of parliament (MP) for Varanasi. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of t...
Israel
Country in West Asia
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel occupies the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories, as well as...
Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for Narendra Modi:
🌐
India
4 shared
🌐
Artificial intelligence
3 shared
👤
Mark Carney
1 shared
🌐
Trade agreement
1 shared
🌐
Nuclear power
1 shared
Original Source
EXPLAINER News | International Trade India’s Modi visits Israel: What’s on the agenda, and why it matters India’s prime minister is expected to discuss upgrading security and economic agreements amid rising regional tensions. Listen to this article | 10 mins Why are israel and india getting closer? By Sarah Shamim Published On 25 Feb 2026 25 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday. Modi’s first trip to Israel was in 2017, when he was the first Indian leader to ever visit the country. India was among the countries that opposed the creation of Israel in 1948, and for decades was one of the most forceful non-Arab critics of Israel’s policies towards Palestinians. It only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992, but since 2014, when Modi came to power, relations between the two countries have flourished. Here is more about what is on the agenda for Modi’s visit, and why it is significant. Who will Modi meet, and what will they talk about? Modi is expected to land at the Ben Gurion international airport outside Tel Aviv at 12:45pm local time (10:45 GMT). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to welcome Modi at the airport, as he did during the Indian premier’s 2017 visit. The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks shortly after. Then, at 4:30pm (14:30 GMT), Modi is scheduled to address the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem. He then returns to Tel Aviv for the night. On the morning of February 26, Modi is scheduled to visit the Yad Vashem museum, a memorial to Holocaust victims, before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Modi and Netanyahu will then meet again and oversee the signing of agreements between the two countries, before Modi departs Israel in the afternoon. Overall, Modi and Netanyahu aim to use this visit to bolster strategic economic and defence agreements between India and Israel, officials from both sides have said. ...
Read full article at source