Modi ‘More Than a Friend,’ Says Netanyahu

At the beginning of his speech, an emotional Netanyahu said: “Prime ministers and heads of state come to the Knesset, and this is always an exciting moment for all of us. But my dear friend Narendra, I was especially touched by your visit. You are a great friend of Israel and a great leader on the world stage. Narendra, you are more than a friend. You are a brother.”

Referring to the viral photo of the two leaders walking barefoot in the ocean, which sparked talk of “bromance” in Israel during Modi’s first visit to Israel as prime minister in 2017, Netanyahu said, “We took off our shoes and swam in the ocean. We did not walk on water, but we created miracles.”

Netanyahu highlighted joint achievements, including the doubling of bilateral trade.

The personal rapport between the two leaders was widely publicized in Israel and was clearly on display in the Knesset, with long embraces and standing ovations from the assembled crowd and lawmakers.

Netanyahu said, “We embraced each other at the airport today. This is called the Modi embrace. I want to reciprocate the embrace of every Knesset member here. This represents the warmth between us.” he said.

Describing India as a “huge country” and stating that his country supports it with “tremendous power”, the Israeli prime minister said that “the relationship is a tremendous force multiplier”.

“The two places where civilizations flourished were the Indus Valley and the Jordan Valley. We have both gone through the journey of time, emerged from British rule, and share many characteristics. We maintain our democracies under conditions that few can understand,” the Israeli leader said. he said.

Praising Modi for his many reforms, Netanyahu said that “the sky is the limit” as India is a space superpower and an Asian tiger.

But what was long applauded by everyone present at the meeting was Netanyahu recalling how Modi stood up to support Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and condemned it in unequivocal terms.

Netanyahu said, “There is another reason for the love felt for you here in Israel: You supported Israel very much morally right after the terrible attack on October 7. You did not hesitate, you did not hesitate, you stood by Israel and the Jews. Thank you.”

“And we know what we have to face. But many people in the world quickly forgot about this,” the Israeli prime minister said, referring to how many Western powers began to condemn Israel after it launched an attack on Gaza.

“Israel is at the forefront of civilization against the barbarism of Islamic terrorism, but the lava of this volcano is spreading around the world. India supports Israel because Israel is an iron wall against barbarism, a bastion of democracy in a region of unstable chaos,” Netanyahu said. he said.

“We defend democracy with the bravery of our soldiers. Some of our soldiers were injured and disabled.” said the Indian, and told the stories of the sacrifices and bravery of the Jews of Indian origin in the war.

The Israeli leader also described how the northern city of Haifa was liberated by Indian soldiers during the First World War, the invocation of the words of Tagore, whose white beard was likened to the prophets in the Bible, and Mathematics professor Netanyahu’s uncle’s love for Ramanujam, as stories of common bond that strengthened and sustained the bond between the two countries.

Promising to take bilateral relations to “great heights”, the Israeli prime minister said he would work to tighten personal and diplomatic relations, deepen cooperation in the fields of defence, economy, trade, cyber, artificial intelligence and space technology, and ensure the successful execution of the ambitious IMEC project.

On a lighter note, he joked: “One day, a blockbuster Bollywood movie will be made about our relationships.”

After Modi’s speech to the Knesset, he and Netanyahu traveled in the same car to an innovation event in the city.

Sharing a photo with his Israeli counterpart, Modi said on social media: “After my speech in the Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are going to an exhibition where the progress made in the world of technology is exhibited.”