NEW DELHI, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew 
to Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit to deepen ties with a key trade 
and defence partner, stirring criticism at home.

"Our nations share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership," Modi 
said in a departure statement, saying he will meet his counterpart Benjamin 
Netanyahu and address the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

"Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years."

New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the defence, 
agriculture, technology and cybersecurity sectors while balancing diplomatic 
interests in the Middle East.

Talks opened in New Delhi on Monday for an India-Israel Free Trade Agreement 
(FTA), India's government said in a statement, noting that total merchandise 
trade was $3.62 billion in 2024-2025.

Modi said he would hold talks with Netanyahu to "discuss ways to strengthen 
cooperation", as well as meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. 
Ties deepened after Hindu-nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014.

Modi visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu made a 
reciprocal visit to India the following year.

Both right-wing leaders have called each other a "friend".

In September 2023, grand plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India-Middle 
East-Europe Economic Corridor -- to link railways, ports, electricity, data 
networks and pipelines, including through Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Those plans were stalled by Hamas's October 7 deadly attack on Israel, which 
responded with a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi -- sister of opposition leader 
Rahul -- posted on social media on Wednesday that she hoped Modi would 
mention the killing of "thousands of innocent men, women and children in 
Gaza" when he addresses Israel's parliament.

India, the world's most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, is majority 
Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim.

One of India's largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates the Mediterranean 
port of Haifa, while Israeli military drone technology played a pivotal role 
during India's May 2025 clash with Pakistan.

At the same time, India maintains strong relations with Gulf nations and 
Tehran, including developing Iran's Chabahar port -- a trade gateway to 
Afghanistan, where New Delhi has built a relationship with Taliban 
authorities.