Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has singled out India as one of Israel’s most reliable sources of public support globally, saying the warmth he receives from Indian audiences surpasses almost anything he encounters elsewhere in the world.
Speaking at a conference in the West Bank on Thursday, described the relationship between the two countries as occupying a special place in Israel’s global outreach strategy, at a time when the Israeli government faces sustained criticism across large parts of the world.
“We face delegitimization in much of the world, but not in India,” Netanyahu said. “In India, there is an absolutely crazy love for Israel, truly crazy. I think I have more followers from India than from anywhere else.”
Why Netanyahu Is Highlighting India’s Support for Israel Right Now
Netanyahu’s remarks arrive several months after Indian Prime Minister in February 2026, a trip that resulted in both governments elevating bilateral ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity.” The upgraded designation reflected years of deepening cooperation across defence, technology and trade, and gave formal shape to a relationship that has grown steadily warmer over the past decade.
The Israeli prime minister’s decision to highlight Indian public sentiment at a West Bank conference underscores how significant the bilateral relationship has become to Israel’s diplomatic positioning, particularly as it navigates a period of heightened international scrutiny.
What India and Israel Agreed During Modi’s Jerusalem Visit
The February summit produced a series of concrete agreements spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, education, agriculture, fisheries, financial technology and trade. Both leaders reaffirmed a shared vision for deeper collaboration in semiconductors, biotechnology, water management, defence and space technology.
The two governments also stressed the importance of formalising cooperation through government institutions, business partnerships and people-to-people engagement to sustain long-term collaboration beyond individual administrations.
On defence, the visit built on a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed in November 2025, with both sides agreeing to strengthen ties further through initiatives coordinated by their respective National Security Advisors in the areas of critical and emerging technologies.
India and Israel Plan to Link Digital Payment Systems
One of the more forward-looking announcements from the February summit was a plan to explore connecting. The initiative, if implemented, would improve cross-border digital payments between the two countries and deepen financial integration at a transactional level that goes beyond government-to-government agreements
UPI has already been linked with payment systems in several countries as India has sought to internationalise its digital financial infrastructure, and a connection with Israel would represent a further step in that broader expansion.
India-Israel Ties: From Defence to Artificial Intelligence
The breadth of the agreements signed during Modi’s Jerusalem visit reflects how far the India-Israel relationship has evolved from its earlier focus on defence and agricultural technology. Cooperation now extends into artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, two domains that both governments have identified as central to their national competitiveness in the coming decade.
Both countries agreed to deepen collaboration in critical and emerging technologies through mechanisms led by their National Security Advisors, signalling that the most sensitive areas of technological partnership will be managed at the highest levels of government rather than left to commercial arrangements alone.
