In a 32-minute address to Israel’s Parliament, the PM also said the India-Israel free trade agreement under negotiation will unlock the vast untapped potential.
NEW DELHI : Countering terrorism requires sustained and coordinated global action because terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Jerusalem on Wednesday, adding that India was firmly in support of the Gaza Peace initiative, which he asserted held the promise of “just and durable” peace.
In a 32-minute address to Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, the PM also said the India-Israel free trade agreement under negotiation will unlock the vast untapped potential of their bilateral trade relationship, underlined that the connection between the two countries was written in “blood and sacrifice”, and hailed technological and defence ties.
“No cause can justify the murder of civilians. Nothing can justify terrorism. India has also endured the pain of terrorism for a long time. We remember the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the innocent lives lost, including Israeli citizens. Like you, we have a consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, with no double standards. India supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability,” he said.
The Knesset was illuminated in the colours of the Indian national flag to mark the first ever address by an Indian PM.
Modi – who is on his second tour of Israel – touched upon the attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.
“I carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and every family whose world shattered in the barbaric terror attack by Hamas on October 7. We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands firmly with Israel, with full conviction…in this moment and beyond,” the PM said, adding that terrorism aims to destabilise society, block development and erode trust.
Earlier, welcoming Modi in the Knesset, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that the India-Israel alliance was an enormous multiplier of the individual powers of the two countries, hailing India as a gigantic power.