PM Modi receives warm welcome in Israel, Netanyahu greets him with a hug at airport | WATCH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm and symbolic welcome from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as he arrived in Tel Aviv for a two-day State visit.

Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife Sara Netanyahu, personally received PM Modi at Ben Gurion Airport, greeting him with a hug that underscored the close personal rapport between the two leaders. The prime minister was accorded a grand ceremonial welcome at the airport.

#BreakingNews | PM Modi lands in Israel as PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife arrive at Tel Aviv airport to receive the Indian PM The Prime Ministers share a warm hug#India#Israel#PMModi#Netanyahu | @GrihaAtulpic.twitter.com/TzwRU84zGH

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This is Modi's second visit to Israel after 2017.

In his departure statement, the prime minister said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Modi said the visit comes at the invitation of his “dear friend Prime Minister Netanyahu.” During the visit, Modi will also meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, at 8:30 pm IST on Wednesday, marking one of the key moments of his visit. Later in the evening, he is scheduled to tour a technology and innovation exhibition before joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a private dinner.

On Thursday, PM Modi will visit Yad Vashem at 12:15 pm. Established in 1953, Yad Vashem is Israel’s official Holocaust memorial and commemorates the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. The visit is expected to underline India’s solidarity with the Jewish people and its respect for historical memory.

India–Israel ties have deepened substantially under the Modi government. That shift was most visibly marked by Modi’s landmark 2017 visit to Israel, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister. The visit signalled a decisive move toward a more open and strategic partnership between the two countries.

During the current trip, both sides have agreed to further expand cooperation in areas such as defence, technology, innovation, water management, agriculture, cybersecurity and space research. PM Modi has described India’s relationship with Israel as “special”, reflecting the growing breadth and depth of engagement.

The momentum continued in 2018 when Prime Minister Netanyahu visited New Delhi, reinforcing the strategic bond and opening new avenues for collaboration.

PM Modi’s visit comes at a time of heightened regional tension, with the United States issuing warnings of possible military action against Iran, raising concerns of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Despite this volatile backdrop, the Indian Prime Minister’s engagements in Israel are expected to remain firmly focused on bilateral ties and cooperation, rather than regional geopolitics.