Rajya Sabha Tv India Israel Strategic Alliance

The recent visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu memorializes the twenty fifth-anniversary year of India-Israel relationship and its growing partnership.

Key highlights:

• Israeli PM Netanyahu is in India with a high-profile delegation comprising of 130 businessmen from areas like agriculture, water, cyber security, health care and security.
• India and Israel signed nine pacts to boost cooperation in key areas with MoUs signed in cyber security, oil and gas, air transport, technology, investment, film production and others.
• Both sides are also working together on a Five Year Joint Work Plan for strategic cooperation in Agriculture and Water.
• India and Israel agreed to deepen cooperation in innovation, business and trade, space, homeland security and cyber, higher education and research, science and technology, tourism and culture.
• Meanwhile, India invited Israeli defense companies to India for co-production with active involvement of the public and the private sector. As public-private alliance will create viable, sustainable and long term cooperation in the defence sector.
• The two prime ministers also engaged in a brief discussion on regional and international issues of mutual interests.
• Israel also offers to strengthen India’s border fencing with special emphasis on underwater and underground sensors are to be implemented along the borders.

High-level Official meetings

• PM Modi and Netanyahu attended the 2nd India Israel CEO Forum Meeting.
• The first Forum was being held during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel.
• Importance lies in the recent move where just a month ago India voted against US’ with respect to its announcement to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital at the United Nations.
• But Israel, dismissed India’s negative vote at the UNGA and hailed India-Israel ties as a “marriage made in heaven”.

Conclusion:

• The structural factors, India being a regional powerhouse and Israel being a technological powerhouse, is hoped to combined their strength and propel the bilateral relationship more forward.