Israel plans a memorable Modi visit

New Delhi: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pulling out all the stops to make Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel next week, the first by an Indian Prime Minister, a memorable one. The visit is also the high point of the two nations marking 25 years of diplomatic relations.

While defence cooperation lies at the heart of the ever-deepening relationship, next week’s visit is likely to focus primarily on economic issues. Last Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet adopted a 23-page resolution in which it set forth a slew of measures to take the relationship forward in a variety of areas, and allocated a budget of 280 million shekels (over $70 million) — a bigger sum than Israel has set aside for China, Africa and South America combined.

The main focus is likely to be on providing Israeli water and agricultural tech to India, including in the cleanup of the Ganga. Israel is regarded as a world water power, particularly in desalination, recycling of water and drip irrigation, and it is learnt Mr Modi himself is keenly interested in furthering the use of Israeli technology in these areas in India.

On defence, there may be a new emphasis on “Make in India” by Israeli defence firms, including for export to third countries. An Indo-Israeli CEOs’ Forum is also planned, which will include representatives of 15 companies on each side.

Israel’s ambassador to India Daniel Carmon, speaking to a group of journalists here Wednesday, said Mr Modi’s visit was of “unprecedented importance, with bilateral ties going through a changing paradigm and changed architecture where there is no zero-sum game and commitments and good relations with both sides can be maintained without contradiction”, a reference to India’s friendly ties with both Israel and Arab countries.

Mr Modi will be greeted on arrival at Ben Gurion international airport on July 4 afternoon by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu along with a “top protocol team” of prominent Israelis, including ministers, religious heads like rabbis, priests and imams, and others. This treatment is fairly rare, limited mostly to Popes and American Presidents, Mr Carmon said.

Mr Netanyahu will also accompany Mr Modi to almost all his engagements while in Israel, including his interaction with 4,000-odd Indian Jews living in Israel, to take place at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre on July 5. Many Indian Jews emigrated to Israel in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s but think warmly of India as a country that had given sanctuary to Jews fleeing persecution in other lands. This event may be “slightly different” from the diaspora events Mr Modi held elsewhere.

Also on the agenda is a possible interaction with Moshe Holtzberg, the two-year-old “Baby Moshe” (now 11) who tragically lost his parents during the 26/11 attacks on the Chabad House in Mumbai’s Colaba area in November 2008, and who was saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel — who now stays in Israel and was honoured with a top award by the Jewish state.

The two leaders will hold formal discussions on July 5, when they will explore ways to enhance cooperation in key strategic areas, and sign a number of agreements in the fields of innovation, development, science and technology and space.

During the July 4-6 visit, Mr Modi will also visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and pay tribute to Indian soldiers who were killed in the world wars at the Indian Cemetery in Haifa.