Netanyahu dials PM Modi, invites him and Capt Smit Machchhar to light torch on Israel’s Independence Day
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Netanyahu dials PM Modi, invites him and Capt Smit Machchhar to light torch on Israel’s Independence Day")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press meet, in Jerusalem on Feb 26, 2026. Photograph: (ANI)
Netanyahu invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the situation in West Asia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and invited him to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchhar.
Machchhar, a Flydubai pilot, averted a major aviation tragedy on September 30 this year. Netanyahu had earlier said that both Modi and the pilot would be invited to participate in the ceremony, an honour traditionally reserved for Israeli citizens.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said Modi thanked him for the invitation and highlighted the close ties between the two countries.
“Spoke with my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and invited him to light the torch alongside a brave Indian pilot on Israel’s Independence Day,” Netanyahu wrote.
He added that Modi had said India and Israel were fighting terrorism together “on land and in the air” and had praised their strong, decades-old relationship.
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Modi and Netanyahu discuss bilateral ties
Following the conversation, Modi said the two leaders reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership.
“Received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We reviewed the sustained momentum in our bilateral ties and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our partnership,” Modi wrote on X.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), both leaders welcomed the continued progress in India-Israel relations and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the Special Strategic Partnership.
The two leaders also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and stressed the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region.
PM Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward, the PMO statement said.
