Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel 'tightening alliances' with allies, calls India 'gigantic power'

Jerusalem: Describing India as a “gigantic power”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is “tightening alliances” with its allies, as he mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jerusalem next week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Israel on February 25 on a two-day visit during which he is likely to address the Knesset (parliament) and meet Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

Netanyahu made the comments while addressing the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Cadets' Graduation Ceremony in Bahad 1 (IDF Officers School), about 190 kms south of Jerusalem, on Thursday.

After describing valiant efforts by the Israeli army over the years, Netanyahu said how the country goes out and takes “pre-emptive measures” against the evil, and, therefore, will act time and again “to neutralise the risks in the area, as necessary.”

“We will also act to tighten alliances with our allies. Next week, the Prime Minister of India will visit the country – a gigantic power," Netanyahu said.

“And of course, you know that a few days ago I returned from another diplomatic visit, the seventh in number since the election of President (Donald) Trump to a second term, where I met with the greatest friend of the State of Israel – US President Trump,” he added.

“In the American security doctrine published recently, Israel is the only country in the world that the US defines as ‘the model ally’,” he asserted.

On Sunday, Netanyahu broke the news of Modi’s visit while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations.

“Parliament address on the anvil. Who's coming here next week? Narendra Modi,” Netanyahu told the gathering.

“Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.4 billion people. India is enormously powerful, enormously popular,” he said.

This would be Modi’s second visit to Israel, the first being in July 2017, which was also the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.