Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Visit Israel In June

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel in June this year, NDTV has reported. He will be the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish nation since its formation in 1948.

According to the channel, Secretary (Economic Relations) Amar Sinha has said that Modi's visit will likely take place this year. Citing sources in the Ministry of External Affairs, the channel said prime minister will visit Israel in June. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also expected to visit India this year, the channel said in its report.

There are two other compelling reasons to believe that the news is true. First, News 18 made a similar claim in the first week of February. According to the channel, Indian ambassador to Israel Pavan Kapoor informed about Modi’s visit during an interview with Ynetnews.

Second, Israel’s ambassador to India and Sri Lanka Daniel Carmon had said, in an interview with The Hindu in 2016, that 2017 will be a year of “high level” visits. He was possibly referring to Modi’s visit to Israel and Netanyahu’s visit to India.

The two nations are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations this year. Though India recognised Israel in September 1950, full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established only in January 1992.

Israel is a major defence and security partner for India and has historically supported India on the international stage in its fight against terrorism and on Kashmir issue, despite India’s constant failure to support the country against Arab hegemony in the Middle East.