Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised his long-time friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by donning traditional Indian attire at their joint dinner on Wednesday.

In a tweet in Hindi, Netanyahu wrote, “Before our joint dinner, I surprised my friend Prime Minister Modi by wearing traditional Indian attire.” For the occasion, he swapped his usual tie and blazer for a Nehru jacket.

Earlier in the day, Netanyahu described Modi as “more than a friend,” praising the Indian leader and expressing gratitude for India’s support in the wake of the 7 October 2023 attacks. Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the deadly Hamas assault, which left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead and around 250 kidnapped.

Addressing the Knesset, Netanyahu became visibly emotional. “Prime ministers and heads of state come to the Knesset and it’s always an exciting moment for all of us. But my dear friend Narendra, I’m especially moved by your visit,” he said. “You are a great friend of Israel and a great leader on the world stage…. Narendra, you are more than a friend. You are a brother.”

Recalling a viral moment from Modi’s first visit to Israel in 2017, Netanyahu referred to the picture of the two leaders walking barefoot in the ocean. “We took off our shoes and waded into the ocean. We didn’t walk on water, but we have done miracles,” he remarked.
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The warmth between the two leaders was evident throughout the visit, with long embraces and standing ovations from the assembled lawmakers. “Today at the airport, we embraced each other. It’s called a Modi hug. I want to return a hug here from every Knesset member. It represents the warmth between us,” Netanyahu said.

Describing India as “a gigantic country” and Israel as equally endowed with “enormous power,” he highlighted that the relationship between the two nations is an “enormous force multiplier.”

Netanyahu vowed to take bilateral ties to “great heights,” pledging to strengthen both personal and diplomatic relations. He emphasised plans to deepen cooperation in defence, trade, economy, cyber, AI, and space technology, and expressed commitment to the successful execution of the ambitious IMEC project.