Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Narendra Modi to join Indian pilot Smit Machchhar in lighting a torch during Israel’s Independence Day celebrations, he said on Thursday.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said he had spoken to the Indian prime minister, who expressed appreciation for the “strong, long-standing ties” between India and Israel.
"I spoke with my friend, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and invited him to light a torch - together with a brave Indian pilot - on Israel's Independence Day," Netanyahu said.
"Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that, on the ground and in the air, India and Israel are fighting together against terrorism," he added.
PM Modi on Thursday received a telephone call from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region.
Modi and Netanyahu also welcomed the sustained momentum in India-Israel relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
"The leaders also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's call for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.
In a post on X, Modi said he received a phone call from the Israeli prime minister.
"We reviewed the sustained momentum in our bilateral ties and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our partnership. We also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region," he said.
Indian pilot Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Sept 30. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children.
Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and restrain the attacker. The plane later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar, who has been hailed as a "hero" by Modi and Netanyahu for his courage, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates.