India extends an “early date” invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Israel’s newly elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and extended an invitation for him to visit India “shortly.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement in which it said that the prime minister “conveyed his warm congratulations to H.E. Mr. Netanyahu for his election as the Prime Minister of Israel for a sixth time and wished him a very successful tenure.”

In 2017, Mr. Netanyahu welcomed Mr. Modi at the Ben Gurion airport during his visit to Israel. In January 2018, Mr. Modi welcomed Mr. Netanyahu at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in India during his six-day visit. Then a 130-person business delegation arrived to accompany the Israeli prime minister.

“The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the rapid progress in the India-Israel Strategic Partnership in recent years and agreed on the potential for further strengthening strategic cooperation in various areas. Prime Minister invited H. E. Mr. Netanyahu to visit India early,” the MEA said. 

In July 2022, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, India, and Israel came together to form the I2U2, a new regional initiative. The initiative aims to boost collaboration in industries like clean energy, infrastructure, trade, agriculture, and digital connectivity.

On December 29, 2022, Mr. Netanyahu was sworn in and received a vote of confidence from the Knesset of Israel. Naor Gilon, Israel’s ambassador to India, had previously told the media that Israeli leaders might visit New Delhi in December 2022.