Doubled Trade, Tripled Cooperation, Quadrupled Understandings: Netanyahu’s Effusive Praise For Modi and India-Israel Ties

New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showered heaps of praises on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi just ahead of his historic address in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Netanyahu said that the two leaders are more than friends, and in many ways “brothers” and that the two countries have doubled their trade ties, tripled their cooperation, and have quadrupled their understandings.

“Narendra, my dear friend, I am deeply, deeply moved by your visit here today,” Netanyahu said in his address at the Knesset, ahead of PM Modi's historic speech, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so ever since the two countries have normalised ties.  

“I've never been more moved than by your visit here with us, a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Indian-Israeli alliance, a great leader on the world stage,” he said, as he continued to praise the Prime Minister.

Welcoming PM Modi and his delegation to Jerusalem, he said, “I would almost venture to say, more than a friend, a brother, in many ways, brothers." 

Netanyahu also thanked PM Modi for standing by Israel in "difficult times," by not “wavering” or “flinching”, but for the “truth.”

“And I remember, in this very house, before the people of Israel, immediately after those special and difficult challenges, you stood firmly. Especially in difficult times. You stood by Israel. You stood for the truth. That is something I deeply value,” he said.

The Walk on the Beach

Revisiting the last time the two leaders met in Israel, where the two walked on the Dor beach in Haifa, Netanyahu said, “Now, when you were last here, we, the two of us, were on the Mediterranean coast, and I said, why don't we take off our shoes and go into the water?”

The Israeli PM further said that though they did not walk on water, they did create “miracles” together by deepening their ties in trade, cooperation, and understandings.

"We didn't walk on water, but we did perform miracles since then. Because what we have done is we've doubled our trade, tripled our cooperation, quadrupled our understandings in ways that I cannot begin to describe," Netanyahu said.

The Immense Potential Between the Two

Benjamin Netanyahu praised India for rising up to the stature of the “leading economies” and achieving “remarkable growth”. “India has done what many thought was impossible,” he said.

On the new potential in India-Israel ties, the Israeli PM said that the two countries can work in water management, desalination, agriculture, health technologies, new health solutions, increase their regional prosperity, and expand their markets. 

Netanyahu highlighted that while India is a huge demography as compared to Israel, but the alliance between the two countries will act as an “enormous multiplier” of their individual powers, adding that it would be a “multiplier of the spirit and the multiplier of deeds and capabilities.” Netanyahu also mentioned that the two nations are bonded, not just geographically, but “strategically and emotionally.”

The Bollywood Touch

Speaking about the cultural ties between the two countries, Netanyahu invited all ‘fantastic’ artists of Bollywood to make a film in Israel. “When we visited India, we saw the new Parliament building. We saw the fantastic artists of Bollywood. Perhaps one day they will come and make a film in Israel, a true cultural bridge between our nations. Prime Minister Modi, my dear friend, I bless you from the depths of my heart,” he suggested.

The Modi Hug

In a light-hearted mention, Netanyahu described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hug, which has now become a part of his personal diplomatic outreach, as the “Modi hug,” saying that that it is not an act by “a real thing.”

Prime Minister Modi addressed the Knesset on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian statesman to do so. He is also set to hold delegation-level talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

According to geopolitical observers, defence cooperation, trade expansion, and regional security are expected to dominate discussions between the delegation-level talks scheduled on Thursday.

ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi Israel Visit LIVE: 'Modi Modi' Chants Echo Inside Israel Parliament As PM Receives Standing Ovation