Page 4 - India Israel Ties

Under pact, 6,774 Indian workers went to Israel for work as of July 1: Govt

Under a bilateral framework agreement signed in November 2023, a total of 6,774 Indian workers went to Israel for work as of July 1 this year, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. This was revealed by Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha on the total number of labourers recruited from India by Israel consequent to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023. Singh said that during the ongoing conflict, "one Indian agriculture worker was killed in an attack from Lebanon in March 2024". "Three Indian nationals were injured, one in rocket fire from Gaza on October 7, 2023, and two more in an attack from Lebanon in March 2024," the minister said. The government said it accords highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian nationals abroad, including Indian workers. In 2022, India and Israel commenced negotiations on a bilateral framework agreement for Indian nationals t

India, Israel to develop institutional framework to deepen defence ties

India and Israel on Wednesday concurred to work towards developing an "institutional framework" for further deepening their defence ties. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held a bilateral meeting with Director General, Israel's Ministry of Defence, Major General (Res) Amir Baram in New Delhi during which the two sides agreed to further strengthen the bilateral defence cooperation with a "long-term perspective", officials said. "They concurred to work towards developing an institutional framework for further deepening of defence ties," the Indian defence ministry said in a statement. The Israel DG condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and conveyed "full support for India's fight against terrorism", it said. Singh reiterated India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, condemned the October 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel and called for the release of all hostages. The two sides also reviewed the progress of the ongoing defence collaboration activities since the

Hostile Homelands: Azad Essa's book traces India-Israel ties before BJP era

The author, who is based in New York, notes that India's arms imports from Israel rose by 175 per cent between 2015 and 2019

Israel's TA-125 at new peak even as tensions flare with US strikes on Iran

In the year so far, the TA-125 index has risen 18.9 per cent, while the MSCI Asia ex Japan and MSCI World indices are up 11.2 per cent and 4.83 per cent, respectively

Iran-Israel conflict: India to evacuate Nepalese, Lankans under Op Sindhu

Amid escalating Iran-Israel tensions, India will now help evacuate Nepalese and Sri Lankan citizens from Iran under its ongoing Operation Sindhu mission

Israel in constant contact with MEA: Amb. Azar on evacuation of Indians

Amid the escalation of military confrontation between Israel and Iran, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has said that his country is in "constant contact" with the Ministry of External Affairs on the subject of evacuation of Indian nationals from there. In an interview with PTI Videos at the agency's headquarters here on Friday, Azar also said that "whatever message we get from the Indian government, we take it very seriously" in order to make sure that all Indian citizens are safe. His remarks came in response to a query on the evacuation of Indians residing in Israel amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. "We are in constant contact with the MEA, on all subjects that have to do with evacuation of civilians. We've been cooperating since the beginning of the war, and this cooperation continues. We have open channels, and whatever message we get from the Indian government, we take it very seriously in order to make sure that all Indian citizens are safe," Azar ...

Israel stock market shrugs off war concerns as TA-125 trades near record

Israel's equity markets defy regional conflict, with TA-125 hitting record highs despite ongoing missile strikes with Iran

Israel's military apologises for incorrect depiction of India's map

The Israeli military on Saturday apologised for posting a map that incorrectly depicted Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan after objections from Indian social media users, clarifying that the image "fails to precisely depict borders". The map was posted by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on their X handle on Friday to show the range of Iranian missiles. The post quickly drew criticism from social media users in India. "Now you understand why India remains neutral. In diplomacy, no one's really your friend," one user commented on X. In response, the IDF admitted that the map "fails to precisely depict borders". "This post is an illustration of the region. This map fails to precisely depict borders. We apologize for any offense caused by this image," IDF said on X. "Iran is a global threat. Israel is not the end goal, it's only the beginning. We had no other choice but to act," the IDF earlier posted along with the incorrect map, justifying the launch of Operation Rising Lion ..

India's concerns legitimate, can play role in de-escalating: Israeli envoy

Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, on Saturday expressed optimism about India's potential to mediate in the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran following a telephonic conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "India has avenues for dialogue with both sides. It can indeed play a role. We are happy to have this sincere dialogue with India, which is a very good friend... We listen carefully to your concerns. I think they are legitimate," Azar said in an interview with PTI Videos. The remarks came amid heightened tensions in West Asia, with both Israel and Iran launching strikes against each other. Netanyahu called Prime Minister Modi on Friday to brief him on Israel's actions, which the ambassador described as defensive measures to counter an "existential threat" posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile programme. "No country in the world is interested in this kind of situation," Azar said, emphasisi

Goyal, Israeli economy minister discuss boosting trade, innovation ties

Our discussions focused on diversifying our trade basket, fostering innovation, and strengthening cooperation in high-tech and emerging sectors, Goyal said about the meeting

Oil hits 1-week high as dollar weakens on Israel-Iran strike report

Geopolitical tensions may add headwinds to the markets, which had calmed recently after a month of turmoil from the tariff blitz unleashed by US President Donald Trump

Israel revises advisory urging its citizens to leave Kashmir immediately

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Israel has updated the existing travel advisory for its nationals urging those in the Kashmir region to leave immediately. The revised advisory came on Wednesday after the Indian military carried out strikes against terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan's Punjab province earlier in the day. Pakistan army carried out one of the most intense artillery and mortar shelling in years targeting forward villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called on Israelis to avoid visiting the Jammu and Kashmir region, with the exception of Ladakh. Israelis currently in Kashmir should leave immediately and obey the instructions of local security forces, the ministry said. This is in line with the existing travel advisory issued by the National Security Council, it added. India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punj

Israel backs India's 'right to self defence' following Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor: India launched a high-level military mission targeting nine sites associated with terrorist organisations

Govt seeks market access for 10 agricultural products from Israel

India has requested Israel to provide market access for 10 agricultural commodities during a bilateral meeting between Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Israeli counterpart Avi Dichter on Tuesday here. The products India is seeking access for include onion, potato, garlic, green chilies, turmeric, pineapple, mango, pomegranate, grapes, and okra seeds. "On day-to-day trade, we are going to communicate to both Plant Protection Indian Israel Services (PPIS) in order to make sure that we shall be able to increase merchandise shipments from one side to the another," Dichter told media after the meeting. The two countries also signed a bilateral pact to extend cooperation in agriculture, with a work plan discussed for 2024-26. India expressed particular interest in exporting onions and green chilies to Israel and will send technical information soon, according to sources. India also requested Israel to expedite the process and grant market access to the other eight ...

Israel anticipates more Indian tourists amid possible easing tensions

As gunfire echoed and smoke filled the air, a steadfast stream of pilgrims from Kerala made its way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel. Undeterred by the region's unrest, these devotees undertook a journey to the Holy Sepulchre, which houses Christ's tomb, driven by faith. For centuries, Christians worldwide have flocked to this revered site, and for Keralites, especially Christian faithfuls, its appeal remains strong. The data from the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) reveals that 9,600 Indian tourists visited Israel in 2024, with 50 per cent of them travelling for pilgrimage--most of them from Kerala. According to an IMOT spokesperson, in the current scenario, Israel expects more pilgrim tourists from Kerala. "We are expecting around 70,000 tourists travelling to Israel from India this year, and of this, 48 per cent are pilgrims," Amruta Bangera, Director of Marketing, IMOT-India told PTI. All the tourist attractions are completely safe, and the safety of tourists i

10 missing Indian workers rescued from West Bank by Israeli authorities

Indian workers were lured to a village in the West Bank with job promises, where their passports were confiscated. Israeli authorities have since rescued them, and they are now in a safe location

Israeli authorities rescue 10 Indian workers in Palestinian village

The workers were stuck in A-Za'im for more than one month before the Population and Immigration Authority rescued them

Jaishankar, Sa'ar discuss Trump's vision of connecting Israel with India

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Saturday President Donald Trump's vision of connecting Asia, Europe, and the United States through Israel. A statement from the Israeli Foreign Minister's office said Jaishankar and Sa'ar met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, a key global forum to discuss security-diplomatic affairs. The two leaders also spoke about the challenges posed by attacks on trade routes by the Houthis and Iran, it said. Sa'ar also highlighted the strategic importance Israel places on its relations with India. Trump in a joint conference with Prime Minister Modi on Thursday said that the US and India have agreed to work together to help build "one of the greatest trade routes in all of history." "It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the United States, connecting our partners by ports, railways, and undersea cables many, many undersea cables. It's a big development," he said. He added,

India, Israel share warm ties beyond strategic partnership: Knesset speaker

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has said India and Israel not only are strategic partners in many areas but their people also share a warm and honest relationship. Ohana, seen as a close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also credited the prime ministers of both the countries for "having worked hard" to strengthen and deepen the relationship between "big and powerful" India and "small and creative" Israel. Recalling his visit to India in March 2023, the Speaker said it was not accidental that he chose India as his first overseas destination for a visit. "I chose India as the first destination for my overseas trip after entering office as the Speaker of the Knesset. The first trip is also a reflection of the importance of a place in our relationship. It was also the first visit of any Knesset speaker to India", Ohana said. "During the time of the visit and also after it, the strong sentiments towards India only deepened. India is not only a strategic partner of Isra

Can look at 10x growth in India-Israel bilateral trade: Piyush Goyal

The Israel-India Business Forum saw participation from industry members of both countries