Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has heaped praise on India and its leader Narendra Modi, celebrating the two countries’ ties at a time when Israel’s bombing campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been met with growing criticism around the world.
Mr Netanyahu admitted his country was becoming increasingly isolated but hailed its “unique relationship” with India, which he called a “huge power”.
He said: “We have problems with delegitimisation in much of the world, but not in India. In India, there is an absolutely crazy support for Israel, truly crazy.”
Speaking at an event in the West Bank, he praised his ties with Mr Modi, and added: “I think there are more followers from India than anywhere else.”
This is not the first time Mr Netanyahu has spoken about his popularity in India. Reflecting on his 2018 visit to New Delhi with his wife, he has previously described the trip as a “love-fest”.
“There are places where Israel is still respected. India has 1.4 billion people, and Israel is very popular there. PM Modi was greeted with great affection here. And I went to India with my wife, and it was a love fest,” he said during an appearance on CBS News’ 60 Minutes earlier.
Just days before Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, beginning a Middle East conflict that has triggered a global fuel crisis, Mr Modi visited Israel and addressed the Israeli parliament, where he said that Indians had “great admiration for Israel’s determination, courage, and achievements”.
Those comments sparked a backlash from opposition quarters in India, where critics of Mr Modi said they were alarmed by India’s increasingly close ties with Israel.
In April this year, the main opposition Indian National Congress party accused the Modi-led government of remaining “silent” on the war in Gaza and the plight of the Palestinian people.
Senior Congress figure Jairam Ramesh alleged that no previous Indian government had shown such “solidarity” with what he called a “murderous regime” in Israel.
In a post on X, Mr Ramesh described Mr Modi’s response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon as “moral cowardice”.
Mr Netanyahu’s latest comments come at a time of declining support for Israel in the US. According to the Pew Research Centre, “60 per cent of US adults have an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 53 per cent last year”.
The report, published in April this year, said that “59 per cent have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs – up from 52 per cent last year”. And that “in both political parties (Democrats and Republicans), majorities of adults under the age of 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively”.
In February this year, when Mr Modi was in Israel, the two countries also signed a number of agreements in defence, cybersecurity, AI, trade and other projects, signalling an expansion of ties.
India has invested large sums in Israel’s port of Haifa as part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a multinational infrastructure project officially announced in 2023 during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
India’s involvement in Israel’s port of Haifa is led by the Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, part of the Adani Group, which acquired a 70 per cent stake in the port in a $1.2bn deal. The remaining 30 per cent is held by Israeli logistics firm Gadot, with the consortium receiving rights to operate the port until 2054.