Doval prepares ground for first Indian Prime Minister visit to Israel

Modi is expected to visit Israel by the middle of this year.  Doval landed in Israel on Wednesday and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his Jerusalem office. Doval also met his counterpart, Israel’s acting National Security Adviser and Head of the National Security Council, Brig Gen (retd) Jacob Nagel. 

The discussions “revolved around Prime Minister Modi’s expected visit this summer,” officials here told. Doval left for India this morning after a short trip.  India’s relations with Israel have made steady progress since the two countries established diplomatic relations 25 years ago in January 1992, irrespective of the party in power in New Delhi, but a prime ministerial visit to Israel has been long-awaited.

 President Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in October, 2015, in what was the first such visit by an Indian Head of State to the Jewish country.  Israeli President Reuven Rivlin made a reciprocal visit last year at Mukhejee’s invitation in what was the second visit by an Israeli Head of State to New Delhi coming after a gap of almost 20 years. The only visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to India happened in 2003 when Ariel Sharon visited New Delhi. 

BJP-led government under Atal Behari Vajpayee was in power at that time. Modi’s visit is being discussed amid talks of a “close chemistry” between him and Netanyahu. The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the side-lines of UN-related events and are said to have been in touch with each other over phone.

“I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case, it has happened,” Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the side-lines of Paris climate summit in 2015. The Israeli premier had then promptly responded by saying, “in your case too.”