Netanyahu calls for stronger political alliance to combat Islamic radicalization

Israel's visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night stressed the need to strengthen the political alliances to take on "Islamic radicalisation which is a threat to the international systems".

Netanyahu was delivering the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue 2018, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Observer Research Foundation here today.

The Israeli Prime Minister said his country is trying to strengthen political alliances with like-minded countries across the world, from America, Latin America, Africa, Australia and Asia, especially with democracies.

He emphasised that Israel's relationship with India is very special and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking it to a new level.

Netanyahu's address was listened to by Prime Minister Modi who sat along with EAM Sushma Swaraj in the special front row.

Saying the weak do not survive, but only the strong, and only the strong are respected, Netanyahu said strong territorial power is very important and for that, the country needs to develop a strong economy.

He said without a strong economy, it is difficult to have territorial strength.

Netanyahu noted that under Modi's leadership, the government has improved the ease of doing business index by 42 steps, which is important to strengthen the economy.

The Israeli Prime Minister said the government should "cut the bureaucracy" to make doing business easier and move up the free market.

Though Modi was present at the inaugural address as a rare gesture, he did not speak. And this was mentioned by Swaraj as a rare occasion when she delivered the vote of thanks.

She also mentioned that India's strengthening relations with Israel and improving cooperation especially in the field of agriculture and water.

Earlier, welcoming the Prime Ministers of two countries and Swaraj, ORF Chairman Sunjoy Joshi said it was two years ago under the initiative of Prime Minister Modi's government that this Dialogue was curated as a platform where the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, could discover their interdependence in forging a common, shared future for the world.

He said the pace of change induced by technological innovation is unprecedented. It is even transforming the way humans interact, and the way businesses and communities are organised, affecting the responses of societies and nations in unpredictable ways.

Joshi said Prime Minister Netanyahu leads a nation that is no stranger to volatility. Yet has successfully managed to provide growth, prosperity and security to its people in a turbulent region.

From technological innovations that have ensured food and water security in a parched environment, to creating one of the most vibrant start-up eco-systems nurtured by a world-class defence and technology industry, the prowess of Israel has made light of the greatest challenges to the security and well-being of its people.

"We indeed find ourselves in a world which promises exponential jumps in knowledge systems, possible through previously unimaginable collaborative networks across diverse cultures, societies and nations, intelligent collaborative networks that link man and machine. Sometimes, these can be a source of disruption, but managed well they can be a source of exponential growth," Joshi said.

"And at the Raisina Dialogue we celebrate this diversity," he added.

Ministerial delegations from many countries like Australia, Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Poland are attending this year's conference.

Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, former Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harder and former Prime Minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt, were among more than 150 speakers and over 550 delegates from around 90 countries who are participating in the Dialogue.