Israeli FM Sa'ar visits India, seeks to strengthen ties and defeat Islamist terrorism

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited India on Tuesday with the goal of strengthening the already solid diplomatic and security relations between the two countries. Speaking alongside India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar, Jerusalem’s top diplomat praised India, stating that the country is “the world’s largest democracy and fastest growing economy.” Sa’ar stressed that India has become “a global superpower” while Israel is “a regional powerhouse.” 

He assessed that Israel and India already have “a warm friendship.” Looking ahead, Sa’ar explained that the goal is “to build a long-term strategic partnership between Israel and India.”

“Radical terrorism is a mutual threat to Israel and India,” Sa’ar warned. He further vowed that the Jewish state would dismantle the terrorist organization Hamas, which openly calls for Israel’s destruction and the murder of all Jews. 

“The eradication of the Hamas terror state is at the heart of US President Donald Trump’s plan,” Sa’ar stated. “Hamas must be disarmed,” he continued. “Gaza must be demilitarized. We won’t compromise on it."

Addressing Indian Israeli relations, Sa’ar noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “was the first world leader to call Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu after Hamas’s October 7, massacre... We won’t forget it.”

Unlike global powers such as China and Russia, which displayed hostility toward Israel after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, India has voiced strong support for Israel and its right to defend itself against the Iranian ayatollah regime and its terrorist proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Sa’ar described these Tehran-backed groups as “terrorist states” and stressed that “uprooting them is necessary for the security and stability of our region.”

Last month, the Indian prime minister praised the Gaza deal, which was brokered by the Trump administration. 

“We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan,” Modi wrote at the time in a post on 𝕏. “This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu,” the Indian leader continued. Modi welcomed the release of the remaining living Israeli hostage, which he predicted “will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace.” 

Sa’ar remained upbeat about the future in the Middle East despite existing security challenges. 

“The future for regional partnerships is bright,” Sa’ar concluded. The Israeli government has previously presented the Jewish state as an important Middle Eastern hub in the international efforts to establish an energy and commerce corridor between India and Europe via the Middle East. 

Israel and India have in recent years forged strong military and security ties. The Jewish state now ranks among the leading suppliers of advanced military hardware to the Indian military. 

The solid military cooperation was further boosted in April after Israel and India jointly conducted successful missile interception tests with the Israeli-developed Barak missile. 

Boaz Levy, president and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), welcomed the strong relations with India. 

"The Barak System provides advanced and innovative defense against a wide range of air and missile threats. The success of these tests strengthens the technological cooperation between our countries and reflects our partnership with the Indian Ministry of Defense, as well as with industries in both Israel and India," Levy said. 

Bilateral trade is also booming between India and Israel. It was reported in September that India and Israel were expected to sign a landmark multibillion dollar economic agreement. 

“India sees strategic value in linking with Israel’s economy,” a senior Israeli Finance Ministry official stated at the time. 

Pundits view Israel’s strong innovation capabilities and India’s large-scale industrial capabilities as mutually beneficial.