India and Israel commemorate 25 years of diplomatic relations with a five-day visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu starting Sunday.
Netanyahu will visit New Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.
At an event during his Mumbai trip, he is due to invite the Bollywood film industry to explore Israel for film shoots.
“The visit will focus on the progress made between India and Israel since… Modi’s visit to Israel last summer, and on shaping the next 25 years of relationship between our countries and our people,” Daniel Carmon, Israeli ambassador to India, said in a statement.
India has termed the visit “very significant,” and the bonding between the two nations “special.”
India canceled a $500-million defense deal with Israel just days ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, but may be considering reviving the purchase of Spike anti-tank missiles, the Times of Israel quoted the Press Trust of India as reporting.
Suman Sharma, a journalist covering Indian foreign policy, said: “There will be more people-to-people contact and greater engagement at the level of civil society.”
But the growing ties are being criticized by Indians who sympathize with the Palestinian cause.
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