\n<\/p>\n
Listen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel\u2019s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country \u201cwith full conviction\u201d \u2013 despite accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n<p>Modi gave a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, on Wednesday, on the first day of his two-day visit and received a standing ovation as he stressed India\u2019s enduring support for Israel.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>It was the first time an Indian leader addressed the Knesset.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,\u201d said Modi, condemning the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led fighters as \u201cbarbaric\u201d, adding \u201cno cause can justify the murder of civilians\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s leader was earlier greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, where a welcoming ceremony was held.<\/p>\n<p>In his own Knesset speech, Netanyahu thanked India for \u201cstanding by\u201d Israel in the wake of October 7, and said the two nations shared \u201ccommon interests\u201d. He described Modi as \u201cmore than a friend, a brother\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Modi said New Delhi expressed \u201cstrong support\u201d for the Gaza peace initiative approved by the UN Security Council in November. It \u201coffers a pathway\u201d, he said, adding India believes \u201cit holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"trusted-partners\">\u2018Trusted partners\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>The Indian leader said the two countries are \u201ctrusted partners\u201d and this \u201ccontributes to global stability and prosperity\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He described their relations as \u201cvital\u201d for trade and security, and hailed \u201csynergy\u201d on artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and other topics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are committed to further consolidating this relationship across many sectors,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s first trip to Israel was in 2017 after relations between the two countries warmed following his election in 2014. Netanyahu also visited India in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Haaretz newspaper journalist Gideon Levy told Al Jazeera that Modi\u2019s visit cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia is a highly important country and [Modi] showing himself \u2026 in these times when public opinion in India is very critical about Israel is a step that cannot be underestimated,\u201d said Levy.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed to similarities between Netanyahu and Modi, saying both are \u201cnationalist, populist in a way, quite conservative, and hawkish. Both countries carry also some stains, Kashmir, Palestine, the West Bank\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4337651\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4337651\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4337651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-02-25T114054Z_1977362803_RC2ZSJACQOXI_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-INDIA-MODI-ARRIVAL-1772020272.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80\" alt=\"India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a welcome ceremony upon Modi's arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel February 25, 2026. REUTERS\/Shir Torem\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4337651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modi and Netanyahu attend a welcome ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport [Shir Torem\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"israel-s-largest-arms-buyer\">Israel\u2019s largest arms buyer<\/h2>\n<p>In September 2025, India and Israel signed the Bilateral Investment Treaty to expand trade during far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich\u2019s visit to India.<\/p>\n<p>India is Israel\u2019s largest arms buyer, spending $20.5bn on Israeli weapons between 2020 and 2024. In 2024, trade between the two, largely based on defence and security, stood at $3.9bn.<\/p>\n<p>Modi has received criticism for his support for Israel during its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, which has killed at least 72,073 people and wounded 171,756. At least 615 of those deaths occurred during the \u201cceasefire\u201d agreed between Israel and Hamas last October.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, India was one of the more than 100 countries condemning Israel\u2019s recent moves to expand its control of the occupied West Bank and move towards annexation.<\/p>\n<p>Imran Masood, a parliamentarian for India\u2019s Congress party, urged Modi to address Gaza during his visit, saying, \u201cif there is any morality then he should talk about death of children in Gaza\u201d, ANI news agency reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia\u2019s stand is clear \u2026 that it supports Palestine,\u201d said Masood.<\/p>\n<p>Marian Alexander Baby, leader of the Communist Party of India, said Modi\u2019s embrace of Israel is \u201ca betrayal of India\u2019s anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has co-sponsored and voted for\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Modi continues his visit to Israel on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel\u2019s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country \u201cwith full conviction\u201d \u2013 despite accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people. Modi gave a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, on Wednesday, on the first day of his two-day visit and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel\u2019s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country \u201cwith full conviction\u201d \u2013 despite accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n<p>Modi gave a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, on Wednesday, on the first day of his two-day visit and received a standing ovation as he stressed India\u2019s enduring support for Israel.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>It was the first time an Indian leader addressed the Knesset.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,\u201d said Modi, condemning the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led fighters as \u201cbarbaric\u201d, adding \u201cno cause can justify the murder of civilians\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s leader was earlier greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, where a welcoming ceremony was held.<\/p>\n<p>In his own Knesset speech, Netanyahu thanked India for \u201cstanding by\u201d Israel in the wake of October 7, and said the two nations shared \u201ccommon interests\u201d. He described Modi as \u201cmore than a friend, a brother\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Modi said New Delhi expressed \u201cstrong support\u201d for the Gaza peace initiative approved by the UN Security Council in November. It \u201coffers a pathway\u201d, he said, adding India believes \u201cit holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"trusted-partners\">\u2018Trusted partners\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>The Indian leader said the two countries are \u201ctrusted partners\u201d and this \u201ccontributes to global stability and prosperity\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He described their relations as \u201cvital\u201d for trade and security, and hailed \u201csynergy\u201d on artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and other topics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are committed to further consolidating this relationship across many sectors,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s first trip to Israel was in 2017 after relations between the two countries warmed following his election in 2014. Netanyahu also visited India in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Haaretz newspaper journalist Gideon Levy told Al Jazeera that Modi\u2019s visit cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia is a highly important country and [Modi] showing himself \u2026 in these times when public opinion in India is very critical about Israel is a step that cannot be underestimated,\u201d said Levy.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed to similarities between Netanyahu and Modi, saying both are \u201cnationalist, populist in a way, quite conservative, and hawkish. Both countries carry also some stains, Kashmir, Palestine, the West Bank\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4337651\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4337651\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4337651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-02-25T114054Z_1977362803_RC2ZSJACQOXI_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-INDIA-MODI-ARRIVAL-1772020272.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80\" alt=\"India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a welcome ceremony upon Modi's arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel February 25, 2026. REUTERS\/Shir Torem\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4337651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modi and Netanyahu attend a welcome ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport [Shir Torem\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"israel-s-largest-arms-buyer\">Israel\u2019s largest arms buyer<\/h2>\n<p>In September 2025, India and Israel signed the Bilateral Investment Treaty to expand trade during far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich\u2019s visit to India.<\/p>\n<p>India is Israel\u2019s largest arms buyer, spending $20.5bn on Israeli weapons between 2020 and 2024. In 2024, trade between the two, largely based on defence and security, stood at $3.9bn.<\/p>\n<p>Modi has received criticism for his support for Israel during its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, which has killed at least 72,073 people and wounded 171,756. At least 615 of those deaths occurred during the \u201cceasefire\u201d agreed between Israel and Hamas last October.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, India was one of the more than 100 countries condemning Israel\u2019s recent moves to expand its control of the occupied West Bank and move towards annexation.<\/p>\n<p>Imran Masood, a parliamentarian for India\u2019s Congress party, urged Modi to address Gaza during his visit, saying, \u201cif there is any morality then he should talk about death of children in Gaza\u201d, ANI news agency reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia\u2019s stand is clear \u2026 that it supports Palestine,\u201d said Masood.<\/p>\n<p>Marian Alexander Baby, leader of the Communist Party of India, said Modi\u2019s embrace of Israel is \u201ca betrayal of India\u2019s anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has co-sponsored and voted for\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Modi continues his visit to Israel on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel\u2019s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country \u201cwith full conviction\u201d \u2013 despite accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people. Modi gave a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, on Wednesday, on the first day of his two-day visit and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}