Israel seeks to expand its military exports; officials expect new partnerships, collaborations across multiple fields
\n New Delhi
\nIndia\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that both countries have cast as a chance to deepen relations, as regional concerns mount over the risk of military conflict between the United States and Iran.
\nModi, a Hindu nationalist, became the first prime minister in India\u2019s history to visit Israel in 2017, during which he and right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a barefoot stroll on a beach in the northern port city of Haifa.
\nBoth still in power nearly nine years later, the two leaders, who describe one another as friends, are expected to hold talks on artificial intelligence as well as defence at a time when Israel is seeking to increase its military exports.
\nAn Israeli government official said the visit would \u201cpave the way for new partnerships and collaborations across many fields.\u201d Bilateral ties were on the cusp of a significant upgrade, an Israeli foreign ministry official said.
\nModi is expected to deliver remarks to Israel\u2019s Knesset, or parliament, and lay a wreath at Yad Vashem, Israel\u2019s official Holocaust memorial.
\nUS military buildup near Iran
\nModi\u2019s visit comes as the US deploys a vast naval force near Iran\u2019s coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic, with the two countries at an impasse in talks over Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme. The Pentagon has also deployed an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, bound for Israel\u2019s coast.
\nA US attack on Iran could draw Iranian retaliation targeting Israel as well as US military facilities in Gulf Arab countries, where millions of Indians live and work and send home billions of dollars of remittances each year.
\nKabir Taneja, of the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think-tank, said that New Delhi did not want to see conflict in the region.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sure those kind of messages have been delivered in the past and will be delivered during this visit as well,\u201d he said.
\nThe Israeli foreign ministry official said discussions with a \u201cregional aspect\u201d would likely take place during the visit.
\nSpeaking at a cabinet meeting this week, Netanyahu described India as being part of a future \u201caxis\u201d of like-minded nations.
\n\u201c(Our) cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future,\u201d Netanyahu said.
\nTaneja said that, while India was interested in buying Israeli military equipment, New Delhi would hesitate at joining any formal alliance given its history of non-alignment in international affairs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Israel seeks to expand its military exports; officials expect new partnerships, collaborations across multiple fields New Delhi India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that both countries have cast as a chance to deepen relations, as regional concerns mount over the risk of military conflict between the United […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":533433,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-533552","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n