India, Israel Led Joint Military Drills Before Netanyahu’s Visit

PM Modi being received by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, on his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo: PTI)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to India on a four-day visit in January to meet the country's top leadership, six months after his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi made a maiden visit to the Jewish state, informed sources said.

Netanyahu would be received by Modi in Ahmedabad on his arrival on 14 January, the sources said.

Ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, India and Israel conducted joint military exercises as part of Israel’s “Blue Flag” drill, the largest air force drill to be held in the country. A bi-annual event, this was India’s first time participating. Here’s a video of the drill posted by the Israeli air force.

The two-week-long drill, in which Italy, France, the United States, Poland, Germany and Greece also participated, began on 2 November. India sent its Garud Commando Force.

Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to India. Modi's standalone visit to Israel in July this year celebrated 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Indian prime minister skipped Palestine during his trip leading many analysts to say that New Delhi was changing its rules of engagement in the region.

His visit, the first by an Indian prime minister to Israel, was termed by many as de-hyphenation of New Delhi's ties with the Palestinians. Both the governments have taken several measures since Modi's Israel trip to strengthen bilateral ties.

(With inputs from PTI.)