Netanyahu Unveils Vision for 'Hexagon' of Alliances with India at Center

Jerusalem: Describing India as a "global power" and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "personal" friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday talked about his vision of a "hexagon" of alliances in and around the region that will include India. Experience a more refined e-paper today "This week, expression will be given to the special relationship that has been forged over recent years between Israel and the global power that is India, and between myself and its leader, Prime Minister Modi", Netanyahu said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting. "We are personal friends; we speak frequently on the phone and visit one another. I have visited India, and Modi has visited here," the Israeli Prime Minister said. "We waded together in the waters of the Mediterranean, and much water has flowed since then in the Mediterranean, the Ganges, and the Jordan, though less in the Jordan", he added in reference to pictures of the two leaders walking barefoot in the sea in 2017 that went viral with talk of "bromance". Modi will be visiting Israel on a two-day trip from February 25 to 26, his second since the "historic" visit of July 2017, which was the first by any Indian PM to the Jewish state. Netanyahu visited India a few months later in 2018, and the two leaders have since constantly kept in touch, often talking over the phone. "In any case, one thing has happened: The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries", the Israeli leader emphasised. "This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation", he said. Touching upon his diplomatic vision, Netanyahu said, "We will create an entire system, essentially a 'hexagon' of alliances around or within the Middle East". "This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won't detail at the moment. I will present this in an organised manner", he stressed. The description broadly matches the vision of IMEC, India- Middle East- Europe Economic Corridor, which aims to bolster economic development by fostering connectivity. Netanyahu, however, presented it more as a diplomatic axis than a mere economic alliance. "The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis", he said. "All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future", he asserted. Sharing details of Modi's visit, the Israeli leader said that he would be coming on Wednesday, hold an innovation event in Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem together with him. "I should also note an additional point of special cooperation: We will promote cooperation in high-tech, AI, and quantum computing", he noted. "I say AI and quantum not because they are the future, but because they are the present. We, of course, want to be among the world's leading nations in these fields", he said. Modi will also be meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the visit. Netanyahu has often flaunted his close personal ties with global leaders, like Modi and US President Donald Trump, and it has been a strong component of his election campaigns in efforts to demonstrate that no other Israeli leader enjoys his stature at the global arena.