Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appeared on the front page of Israel’s Jerusalem Post ahead of his two-day visit to the country, which begins on Wednesday.
This is it PM Modi’s the first visit to Israel as prime minister since 2017, before his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu reciprocated with a visit to India the following year.
The paper’s editor-in-chief Zvika Klein published a photo of tPM Modi waving on the front page of today’s edition, along with top stories about his visit to Israel and India-Israel ties.
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The page had a bold headline above Modi’s picture titled “Namaste Shalom” – “Namaste in Hindi and Shalom in Hebrew which means ‘peace’ and is also commonly used as ‘hello’ in Hebrew.” Two ancient nations open a new chapter, read the line below.
Another article on the same page was headlined “Welcome Modi”
This trip is also Prime Minister Modi’s first trip to Israel Israel and Hamas agreed in October last year on a ceasefire governed by the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza”. Last week, India joined more than a hundred other countries in condemning Israel expansion in the West Bank.
“Ties have strengthened significantly over the past few years. I am meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in various areas. I will also meet President Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.
“Modi Doctrine”
The The Jerusalem Post also includes an article titled “The Modi Doctrine and India’s Growing Partnership with Israel,” which basically talks about how Modi’s rise to power and his subsequent embrace of Israel represent a “dramatic departure” from Indian history.
The Jerusalem Post also has an article titled ‘The Modi Doctrine and India’s Growing Partnership with Israel’, which basically talks about how Modi’s rise to power and his subsequent embrace of Israel represent a “dramatic departure” from Indian history.
“In 1947, India voted against the establishment of the State of Israel at the United Nations, and for four decades, Delhi has remained one of the loudest voices for the Palestinian cause. Yet during his 2017 trip, Modi did not visit the Palestinian Authority,” the paper said.
In 2017, Prime Minister Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish state, breaking a decade of diplomatic hesitation.
“The largest English-language newspaper”
The Jerusalem Post is the largest English-language newspaper in Israel and has been published since 1932. The Jerusalem Post is owned by the Jerusalem Post Group, a media company controlled by Israeli businessman Elio Azure. He acquired the newspaper in 2004 through his company Mirkaei Tikshoret, which still owns and operates it today.
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The Jerusalem Post also features an interview with India’s envoy to Israel, JP Singh, on the significance of Prime Minister Modi’s planned Knesset appearance, which he described as the first for an Indian prime minister.
“One of the most important elements will be that he will be the first prime minister from India to speak in the Knesset,” Singh said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit took place at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit comes at a time of rising tensions between the US and Iran as the Pentagon mobilizes its military assets in the region. Iran and the US are expected to hold new talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva on Thursday.
What agenda does PM Modi have in Israel?
Prime Minister Modi will meet during the visit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders will review the significant progress made in the India-Israel Strategic Partnership and discuss further opportunities in various areas of cooperation, including science and technology, innovation, defense and security, agriculture, water management, trade and economy and people-to-people exchanges.
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PM Modi will also invite Isaac Herzog, President of Israel. The visit will reaffirm the deep, long-term strategic partnership between the two countries and will be an opportunity to review common challenges and redirect efforts to achieve their shared vision of a strong partnership between two resilient democracies.
Earlier in announcing Modi’s visit, Netanyahu described the Indian prime minister as “dear friend” and emphasized the growing strategic connection between the two countries.
“Together we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress,” he added, specifically referring to cooperation in emerging technologies and broader geopolitical coordination.
Key things
- Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks a significant shift in India’s diplomatic stance towards Israel, from historical hesitancy to a strong partnership.
- The visit highlights the growing strategic cooperation between India and Israel in technology, defense and agriculture.
- Modi’s Knesset speech marks a historic milestone as he is the first Indian Prime Minister to do so.
