SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
The close ties between Israel and India were once again under the spotlight after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu highlighted his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “one of our greatest friends”. He said that his government was investing heavily in New Delhi.
In a podcast interview released on Monday, August 3, the Israeli Prime Minister was explaining the importance of “preserving” strong international allies, referring to the United States, and included India as well. “We need to cultivate additional alliances. That’s why I greatly value the relationship with India, with Narendra Modi, who is one of our greatest friends.”
Netanyahu dismissed the claims of Israel being isolated, saying, “The support that Israel and I personally receive in India is simply unbelievable.”
His comments come weeks after US Vice President JD Vance said Israel’s only powerful ally was the United States. During a White House briefing, Vance said, “If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” adding that Tel Aviv must work with the nation rather than undermine negotiations intended to reduce regional tensions.
Later, in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu had singled out India as one of Israel’s key international supporters, rejecting the US Vice President’s suggestion.
‘Only two places in the world people cannot leave: North Korea and Gaza’
During the podcast interview, the Israeli Prime Minister likened Gaza with North Korea when he said, “There are only two places in the world people cannot leave: North Korea and Gaza.”
People aren’t allowed to leave Gaza, with countries refusing to take them in “because it would help Israel,” said Netanyahu. “I ask: What about helping the Gazans? Why don’t they have the same basic right that billions of people around the world have, the freedom to move?”
Netanyahu also expressed the desire to build Israel’s own fleet of stealth and unmanned aircraft over the next decade. “I want us to have our own stealth aircraft, an unmanned aircraft of the future, because we can never know whether the critical platforms we currently receive from abroad will one day be denied to us.”
SOURCE : SIASAT
