PM Modi’s engagement with Israel spans two decades — from his 2006 study tour as Gujarat CM, to his historic first visit as India’s PM in 2017, and now his second visit in 2026 to further strengthen strategic, agricultural, and defence ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a state visit to Israel on February 25-26, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday.
He is visiting the country at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel as Prime Minister, the first being in 2017
During the visit, he is expected to meet Netanyahu to review the significant progress made in the India-Israel strategic partnership.
Here’s a look at PM Modi’s previous engagements with Israel, tracing his journey from Gujarat chief minister to India’s Prime Minister:
2006: CM Modi at Agritech-Israel
In May 2006, then-Gujarat Chief Minister Modi traveled to Israel as part of an Indian delegation to Agritech-2006, Israel’s premier international agricultural technology exhibition.
The delegation, which included other chief ministers and senior agricultural officials, studied Israeli innovations in farming and water management.
At the Israel-India Business Forum, Modi presented Gujarat’s agricultural vision under the slogan “Per Drop More Crop,” a phrase that would later form the basis of India’s national micro-irrigation program under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
During the visit, he explored Israel’s kibbutzim, visited the Volcani Center for agricultural research, and studied water treatment and wastewater recycling facilities.
He engaged with Netafim to discuss drip irrigation for drought-prone Gujarat districts and potential integration with the Narmada Canal project. Modi also attended seminars on desalination, wastewater reuse, and cloud seeding, laying the groundwork for future national water management initiatives.
2017: First Indian PM to visit Israel
On July 4, 2017, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to undertake a bilateral visit to Israel.
He was welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accompanied him throughout the 49-hour visit.
PMModi’s itinerary included the Danziger Flower Farm, where a new white chrysanthemum was named “MODI,” and Yad Vashem, where he paid tribute to Holocaust victims.
He also visited the home of Israel’s founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in Sde Boker and traveled to Haifa to honor Indian soldiers who fought in World War I, laying wreaths at the Haifa military cemetery alongside Netanyahu.
A demonstration of Israel’s mobile water desalination technology highlighted India’s interest in adopting advanced water solutions.
Notably, PM Modi’s visit marked a shift in India’s diplomatic approach, as he did not visit Ramallah, signaling independent engagement with Israel.
Agreements and cooperation in 2017
The 2017 visit resulted in nine agreements strengthening India-Israel collaboration.
Key agreements included the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F), a three-year agricultural cooperation program, a water conservation MoU, a space cooperation pact between ISRO and Israel’s Space Agency, and a state-level water utility reform partnership with Uttar Pradesh.
Additional agreements covered trade, investment, and bilateral institutional cooperation.
The road to the 2026 visit
PM Modi’s 2026 visit follows two years of sustained diplomatic engagement.
Highlights include the India-Israel CEOs Forum in New Delhi (February 2025), Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s visit and the signing of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (September 2025), Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to launch Free Trade Agreement negotiations (November 2025), and the 17th India-Israel Joint Working Group on Defence in Tel Aviv, which produced a Defence Cooperation MoU for joint missile defense development.
In December 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Israel for high-level meetings, and in January 2025, India signed the $3.85 billion Heron TP drone deal with Israel Aerospace Industries, including Make-in-India components.
PM Modi and Netanyahu also held five phone calls during 2025–26 to coordinate on regional developments, including the Pahalgam terror attack and the Israel-Iran conflict.
From technical learning and agricultural collaboration to strategic defence and investment partnerships, PM Modi’s long-standing engagement with Israel sets the stage for the 2026 visit to further strengthen the India-Israel relationship.
With inputs from agencies
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