Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Citing “security concerns,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to India in December has been postponed, according to a report by Israel’s I24News.
His last official visit to India was a six-day trip from January 14 to 19, 2018. This was the second visit by an Israeli PM to India, which came about six months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in 2017, the media reported on Tuesday.
Netanyahu’s upcoming visit in December has, however, been postponed due to security concerns following the November 10 explosion in Delhi that killed a dozen people near the Red Fort. In this first instance of white-collar terrorism, several Kashmiri and other Muslim doctors and students were found allegedly involved, or working for terror module. More than 200 students and doctors related to the controversial Al Falah University’s medical college in Faridabad, Haryana, are reportedly under the scanner of investigating agencies.
After the deadly blast, the Israeli PM had emphasised the unbreakable spirit of both nations in the face of terrorism, declaring that while terror may target cities, it can never break the spirit of resilient nations.
“To our dear friend Narendra Modi and to the brave people of India: Sara and I, and the people of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Israel stands strong with you in sorrow and in strength in this time,” his statement read.
Meanwhile, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal concluded on Sunday a three-day visit to Israel, where he met with PM Netanyahu and other key leaders. He conveyed PM Modi’s warm wishes to Netanyahu, updated him on his discussions with Minister Nir Barkat, and the outcomes of the Business Forum and CEOs Forum.
In a post on X, Goyal highlighted the signing of the Terms of Reference to launch Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, expected to boost trade, investment, and technology cooperation. He discussed strengthening innovation ties by combining Israel’s hi-tech strengths with India’s scale and talent.
Goyal also sought Netanyahu’s views on deepening economic and strategic engagement in sectors like agriculture, water, defence, science, technology, and innovation, the reports said.