Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday surprised his counterpart Narendra Modi by appearing in traditional Indian dress before their joint dinner in Jerusalem.
The Israeli Prime Minister chose a stone-coloured Nehru jacket, also known as the Modi jacket, with a stripe collar and tailored cut. He paired it with a white long-sleeved kurta-style shirt that featured a simple collar. Dark navy dress pants and polished black leather shoes completed the ensemble.
In a post on X, Netanyahu shared glimpses of Prime Minister Modi’s reaction. “Before our joint dinner, I surprised my friend Prime Minister Modi by wearing a traditional Indian outfit,” he wrote.
This gesture came on a day full of diplomatic engagements. Earlier, Modi addressed a special plenary session of the Knesset, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to speak in the Israeli Parliament.
Upon his arrival to the Knesset, Modi was received by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and held a welcoming ceremony for him. Before his speech, Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and House Speaker Ohana addressed the plenary session, expressing strong bipartisan support for India-Israel relations.
At the beginning of his speech, Modi thanked the Speaker of the House for what he described as a “special honour.” He also expressed his gratitude for being awarded the Speaker of the Knesset Medal, dedicating it to the enduring friendship and shared democratic traditions between India and Israel.
To celebrate this occasion, the Knesset building was illuminated in the colors of the Indian national flag, marking the first time that an Indian Prime Minister had delivered a speech.
In his 32-minute speech, Modi highlighted what he called the deep-rooted ties between the two countries, noting ancient civilizational ties as well as the modern partnership driven by technology, innovation and defense and security cooperation.
Pointing to the security challenges, the Prime Minister pointed to the “zero tolerance” approach taken by the two countries towards terrorism. He offered his condolences for the terrorist attack that occurred on October 7, and stressed that there could be no justification for this brutality.
At the same time, he said that India strongly supports the Gaza peace initiative, which he stressed holds the promise of a “just and lasting” peace.
Modi also noted that the proposed India-Israel FTA, which is currently under negotiation, could unleash huge untapped potential in bilateral trade.
This is Modi’s second visit to Israel in nine years. During his trip to Tel Aviv in 2017, India and Israel upgraded their bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership.”
