In a striking display of personal rapport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, by appearing in traditional Indian attire for their dinner meeting in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening. The gesture, which was captured in a video shared by Netanyahu on X, saw the Israeli leader greeting PM Modi warmly, later posting in Hindi: “Before our joint dinner, I surprised my friend Prime Minister Modi by wearing traditional Indian attire.”
The Indian Prime Minister was quick to reciprocate the warmth, replying with a succinct “Bahut hi shandaar!” (Splendid!). He further noted on social media that such an affinity for Indian clothing reflected a deep respect for India’s rich cultural heritage. However, aside from the exchange, the symbolism of the evening was seen to be a nod to the strong strategic and defense partnership that has come to define the relationship between the two countries in recent years.
The high-profile meeting of the two leaders comes at a time when there is a lot of tension in the region, especially in light of the deteriorating relationship between the United States and Iran. It is against this background that the visit of PM Modi to Israel aims to strengthen the relationship in terms of trade and national security.
Also read: Hebrew University hails PM Modi’s ‘courageous’ stand
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