Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel and will be received at the airport by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and senior ministers.

Netanyahu has always described Modi as "my friend". In a cabinet meeting in late June, he had said, "Modi, my friend, will come to Israel... This is a historic visit, no Indian PM has come to Israel in 70 years."

“Israel supports India on terrorism emanating out of Pakistan, hook, line and sinker. But we are not asking for a quid pro quo… the horrors coming from Pakistan…the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the rogue operations from Pakistan. We say that India has the right to defend itself, just like Israel has the right to defend itself. I don’t see a difference between LeT and Hamas. A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist,” said Mark Sofer, deputy director general in charge of the Asia and Pacific division.

Netanyahu will accompany Modi for most of the two-day visit after hosting a private dinner for the Indian Prime Minister at his official residence. Sofer, a former ambassador to India, said the two sides will sign three agreements on space cooperation; launch a joint strategic partnership on water and agriculture; open a new Indian cultural centre in Israel; and, launch a joint CEOs forum.

Speaking about a common concern, Sofer said, “Both countries face the same challenges of terrorism and face the same struggle. No civilised country can defeat terrorism by itself. All like-minded countries, like India and Israel, have to make a concerted effort.”

“When countries are faced with similar challenges, then like-minded democratic countries have to come together to fight against those evil challenges,” he said.

Not including Palestine, unlike those of leaders in the past from India, Sofer said there was “nothing sinister or special” about this. “Israel has de-hyphenated its relationship…and Prime Minister Modi’s visit is a bilateral visit,” he said.

By Premji