Israeli minister Nir Barkat has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to call his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on October 7, 2023 after the dastardly invasion by Hamas and expressed India’s support for Jerusalem.
In an interview during the Davos summit in Switzerland, Barkat said he is grateful to PM Modi as he was the first global leader to call Netanyahu after the attack and said Israel will never forget it.
“I must thank Modi because he is the first to call Netanyahu on October 7 and offer his support to Israel. We will never forget it. Israel has a good memory. And when we go through difficult times, his phone call and support is extremely meaningful to us. And we are very grateful,” he told the news channel. He also praised the personal equation between Modi and Netanyahu and said the friendship between the two is extremely important for the relationship between the two countries.
“The news of the terrorist attacks in Israel has come as a deep shock. Our condolences and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult time,” PM Modi had said on X at 4.44 pm IST, hours after news of the attack broke.
The Prime Minister and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu have had strong ties over the years, with the Israeli describing PM Modi as his “friend”.
In 2017, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. He has said the Jewish nation has a “deep and centuries-old” relationship with India.