India, Israel talk trade and terrorism as Jaishankar meets Gideon Sa’ar in Delhi

INdia and sion on tues discussed their struggle against act of terrorism, including the demand for a zero tolerance approach towards the menace from the world community, and ways to ramp up cooperation in trade, infrastructure and regional connectivity through projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).The situation in Gaza and the US-brokered peace plan also figured in a meeting between Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who said India backs the peace process with the hope that it will lead to a “durable and lasting solution”.Sa’ar is on his first visit to India, becoming the fifth Israeli minister to travel to the country this year. The visits have prepared the grounds for a planned trip by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, people familiar with the matter said.Jaishankar noted that both countries face the challenge of terrorism and said: “It is essential that we work towards ensuring a global approach of zero tolerance towards terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations.” Sa’ar described “radical terror” as a threat to both sides and reiterated Israel’s condemnation of the terror attack in Pahalgam in April.Israel, Sa’ar said, is confronting the “radical terror states” of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen, and uprooting them is necessary for security and stability in the region. “The eradication of Hamas’ terrorist state is at the heart of President [Donald] Trump’s plan. Hamas must be disarmed, Gaza must be demilitarised. We will not compromise on it,” he said.Last month, Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of the US-backed 20-point peace plan, which included a ceasefire in Gaza and release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners. This ended the fighting triggered by Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people. More than 67,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children, were killed in Israeli offensives in the past two years.Sa’ar also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s solidarity and said: “We remember he was the first world leader to call Prime Minister Netanyahu after Hamas’ October 7 massacre and we won’t forget it.”Jaishankar noted that India and Israel have a strategic partnership with a “real meaning” and said the two sides have stood together in testing times and created a relationship with a “high degree of trust and of reliability”. India welcomes the return of Israeli hostages and the remains of those killed in Hamas’ attacks, and supports the Gaza peace plan with the hope that it “paves the way for a durable and lasting solution”, he said.The two sides also discussed a range of measures aimed at deepening cooperation in areas ranging from trade and innovation to mobility of professionals and connectivity. A bilateral investment agreement was signed by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Israeli counterpart Bezalel Smotrich during the latter’s visit to India in September.Jaishankar highlighted India’s new capabilities in rail, road and port infrastructure, renewable energy and health and said Indian businesses are keen to explore opportunities in Israel. The two sides can also take forward their joint work in agriculture, innovation, semiconductors and cyber issues, he said. In this context, he said, India looks forward to Israel’s presence at the AI Impact Summit next February.“Indian workers are…present in Israel in growing numbers as a result of our mobility understandings. They have some issues which need attention and I hope that we can take that dimension of our ties forward,” Jaishankar said without providing details of the issues.Israel is currently home to some 40,000 Indian workers. Israel stepped up the recruitment of Indians as care-givers and construction workers in the past two years in order to replace Palestinians.The two sides also discussed plurilateral initiatives and Sa’ar said Israel backs regional connectivity projects such as I2U2 and IMEC. “We want to promote connectivity between South Asia, West Asia and Europe,” he said, adding that India is the fastest growing economy while Israel is a regional powerhouse.