Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday during his first visit to India in his current role.
Sa’ar, who arrives Monday night, is also expected to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He will depart from New Delhi on Wednesday.
His two-day trip comes ahead of a possible visit by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December.
Sa’ar, who has been Israel’s Foreign Minister since November 2024, has served as Education Minister (2009–2013) and Minister of the Interior (2013–2014) under Benjamin Netanyahu’s governments.
His visit comes at a time when Israel is seeking to engage with New Delhi after the implementation of the Gaza peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month.
Delhi is looking at building on the connectivity initiatives between India, Middle East and Europe — that crosses through Israel — after peace and stability returns to the Middle East.
The India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor that was proposed in September 2023 during the G20 leaders summit in Delhi, hit a roadblock after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage. After two years of war in Gaza, in which Israel killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, the two sides have agreed to the Gaza peace plan.
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A month after the peace plan, Israel wants to move forward on its normal bilateral ties with partners like India. In September, the two countries had signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement.
