West Jerusalem is facing “delegitimization” in much of the world, the prime minister has said
India has a “crazy love” for Israel and shares a “unique relationship” with the Jewish state, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the Jordan Valley Conference on Thursday, describing New Delhi as one of West Jerusalem’s strongest supporters.
Israel is currently facing “problems with delegitimization in the world, but not in India,” the prime minister said, praising the country’s strong bilateral ties with such a “huge power.”
Israel has faced international condemnation in recent years over its military campaign in Gaza. Critics of West Jerusalem have argued that Israeli operations in the Palestinian enclave, launched in response to the 2023 Hamas attack, amounted to genocide.
India and Israel formally established diplomatic relations in 1992, although New Delhi recognized the Jewish state in 1950, just a few years after its creation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said relations between the two nations date back thousands of years, noting that “Jewish merchants traveled across sea routes that connected the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean” to reach India.
India is currently Israel’s second-largest trading partner in Asia. Bilateral trade, excluding defense contracts, peaked between 2022 and 2023 at $10.77 billion, according to data from the Indian embassy in Israel.
During his visit to Israel in February, Modi praised what he called a “strong defense partnership” between the two countries and said New Delhi and West Jerusalem were also working on an “ambitious Free Trade Agreement.” India has reportedly signed arms deals with Israel worth $8.6 billion this year alone.
Netanyahu thanked New Delhi for standing “by Israel’s side” in the wake of the 2023 Hamas attack and described India as an “Asian ally” of the Jewish state.
After the US and Israel launched military action against Iran earlier this year, New Delhi expressed concern. Speaking with Netanyahu in March, Modi called for an “early cessation of hostilities” and said the “safety of civilians” should remain the top priority.
