Leaders review ties and the West Asia situation in a phone call; Modi reaffirms solidarity against terrorism
New Delhi, October 22: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light the ceremonial torch at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations. He would be joined by Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian flydubai pilot credited with averting a major air disaster last month.
Netanyahu said on X that he had spoken with his “friend” Modi and invited him to light the torch with “a brave Indian pilot”. He said Modi thanked him for the invitation, expressed solidarity in the fight against terrorism and praised the strong, decades-old ties between the two countries.
On September 30, Machchhar was attacked in the cockpit by his Omani co-pilot while stopping an alleged attempt to crash flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Netanyahu had earlier called him a hero of the entire world.
Modi said on X that the two leaders reviewed the steady momentum in bilateral ties and agreed to strengthen the partnership further. They also discussed developments in West Asia and stressed the need to restore peace and stability.
The call comes as conflicts continue across the region involving Gaza, Iran and Yemen. During Modi’s state visit to Israel in February, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity”. Modi had said then that India’s security was linked to peace in the Middle East and that New Delhi supported the Gaza Peace Initiative.
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