Jaishankar to visit Israel amid bilateral, FTA momentum in focus

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will arrive in Israel on Tuesday to meet the country’s top leadership and discuss bilateral cooperation as well as regional developments, officials said.

During his short visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and hold bilateral consultations with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. “The discussions will revolve around bilateral and regional issues to continue to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries,” a source told PTI.

The visit follows a recent phone call between PM Narendra Modi and PM Netanyahu, in which the two leaders “agreed to meet very soon.”

India and Israel have been actively building up momentum toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Earlier this year, Israeli ministers including Haim Katz (Tourism), Nir Barkat (Economy and Industry), Avi Dichter (Agriculture and Food Security), and Bezalel Smotrich (Finance) visited India to discuss trade and investment opportunities. During Smotrich’s visit, the countries signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). Subsequently, during Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Israel last month, the two sides agreed on Terms of Reference (TOR) to pave the way for a future FTA. Jaishankar’s current visit is expected to further these economic negotiations.

In addition to trade and investment, Jaishankar is expected to discuss regional developments in West Asia, including the fragile Israel–Hamas ceasefire in Gaza. While large-scale fighting has paused, tensions remain high, and humanitarian conditions in Gaza are critical, with displaced civilians facing shortages of food, water, and medical aid. India closely monitors such developments due to the presence of millions of Indian nationals in the region and the potential impact on energy and trade routes.

Officials said the visit is part of India’s broader effort to strengthen strategic, economic, and diplomatic cooperation with Israel while engaging on pressing regional issues in West Asia.