Jerusalem, February 25 (AFP) – Speaking in the Israeli parliament on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that India and Israel will build an “iron alliance” of countries in the face of extremist Islam.”
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in Israel on a short visit.
“Israel is stronger than ever, and India is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu stated, which he delivers in both Hebrew and English.
He thanked Modi for his support for Israel following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, saying, “after this murderous attack, you stood in such a clear way, so moral, so sharp… We will never forget this.”
He calls Israel’s war against Hamas “a defensive war, a war for the truth, the future of humanity.”
“India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a protective wall against barbarism,” he continues, saying, “The massacre of October 7 made it absolutely clear: either the jihadist axis of evil will break us, or we will break it. And we are breaking it — and will break it.”
“In the face of extremist Islam that threatens all humanity and the free nations, we will build together an iron alliance — an alliance of nations that believe in moderation, in progress, in human dignity, in mutual respect. An alliance of nations that sanctify life and are ready to fight against those who sanctify death and seek to return us to the dark barbarism of the Middle Ages,” Netanyahu said.
He added that the two countries are together developing the IMEC initiative, a US-backed transport project that aims to connect India to Europe via the Middle East by sea and rail.
“This maritime-land corridor can exist and flourish only if it passes through stable and secure countries. And there are no stronger and more secure countries on this axis than India and Israel,” he says.
“During this visit of yours, we will also implement agreements in tourism, in culture, in agriculture, in water, in immigration — and in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, in peace,” Netanyahu said.
Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails the bond between Jerusalem and New Delhi.
The Indian Prime Minister expressed what an honour it is was to address the Knesset, “as a representative of one ancient civilization addressing another.”
He spoke of the need to combat terrorism in Israel, India and worldwide.
“Countering terrorism requires sustained and coordinated global action. Because terror anywhere threatens peace everywhere. That is why India supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability,” he says, reiterating India’s support for the Abraham Accords normalization agreements, calling the initiative “a moment of new hope for a long-troubled region.”
He also expressed India’s approval of the Trump administration’s comprehensive Gaza peace plan, saying, “We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue.”
“I… carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023” Modi told the Israeli parliament.
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