India, Israel vow deeper security ties; reaffirm zero tolerance to terror

New Delhi, Nov 4: Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Tuesday, where the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and jointly confront common security challenges, particularly the mutual threat of terrorism.

Following the meeting, Sa’ar wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Honoured to meet the National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Doval, in New Delhi. We discussed ways to cooperate and confront our common challenges, especially the mutual threat of terror. We’re building a long-term strategic partnership between Israel and India!”

Earlier in the day, Sa’ar also held talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, focusing on the strategic partnership between India and Israel, developments in the Middle East, and the Gaza Peace Plan.

After the meeting, Sa’ar posted on X, thanking Jaishankar for the warm reception:

“I thank my friend, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, for the gracious hospitality in New Delhi. We had a fruitful discussion on bilateral relations and the mutual threat of terror. I stressed that dismantling the Hamas terror state is at the heart of the Trump Plan, and we won’t compromise on it.”

He added, “Israel is a regional powerhouse and a thriving democracy. India is a global superpower — the world’s largest democracy and fastest-growing economy. Our goal is to build a long-term strategic partnership between our nations. We will get it done.”

EAM Jaishankar, in a post on X, described the meeting as “excellent” and “productive,” highlighting the continued effort to enhance cooperation across multiple sectors.

“An excellent meeting with FM Gideon Sa’ar of Israel today in New Delhi. Productive discussions on strengthening our Strategic Partnership across various domains. Reaffirmed our zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Appreciate FM Sa’ar sharing the Israeli perspective on developments in the region, the Gaza Peace Plan and efforts to build a durable and lasting solution. Also exchanged views on cooperation in multilateral fora and witnessed the exchange of an MoU on Training between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Jaishankar said.

During his meeting with Jaishankar, Sa’ar underlined that radical terror is a shared threat to both Israel and India, while condemning the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.

“Radical terror is a mutual threat to Israel and India. We strongly condemn the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam. In the Middle East, Israel faces a unique phenomenon, which I call terror states. The radical terror states of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Houthis in Yemen have entrenched themselves over the past decades. Uprooting them is necessary for the security and stability of our region. The eradication of the Hamas terror state is at the heart of President Trump’s plan. Hamas must be disarmed, Gaza must be demilitarised, and we will not compromise on it,” he said.

Sa’ar’s visit underscores the growing strategic convergence between India and Israel on regional and global security challenges, with both nations reaffirming their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and commitment to long-term defence and intelligence cooperation.

IANS