Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while speaking about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he is "one of our greatest friends" and that is why Israel was investing heavily in ties with India as part of an effort to build additional alliances.
"We need to cultivate additional alliances. That's why I'm investing heavily in our relationship with India, with my friend Narendra Modi, who is one of our greatest friends," Netanyahu said.
"They say Israel is isolated. The support that Israel, and I personally, receive in India is simply unbelievable," he added.
The comments echo remarks Netanyahu made in earlier in an interview, when he described India as "a small country" of 1.4 billion people offering "tremendous support" to Israel, adding that he had been "flooded" with backing from Indians on Facebook.
That interview came days after US Vice President JD Vance suggested Netanyahu should be cautious about criticising Washington, calling America the "only powerful ally" Israel has left in the world.
Asked about the remark, Netanyahu said he respected Vance and shared a good relationship with him, though he did not necessarily agree with everything he said, while reiterating that Trump was "the greatest friend we ever had in the White House."
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Netanyahu argued that global perceptions of Israel's isolation were misleading, contending that media and social media in many countries were "inundated with anti-Israel, anti-Semitic" content that did not reflect genuine sentiment on the ground.
He said several world leaders had privately reached out to him despite public pressure at home, expressing respect for Israel and interest in striking deals and gaining access to its military, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity expertise.
He noted that Israel was ranked the second-best country globally for cybersecurity and said its technology commanded strong international regard, concluding that Israel had "many, many friends" despite facing criticism in some quarters.
The remarks come amid continued scrutiny of Israel's international standing following its conflict with Iran and ongoing military operations, with Netanyahu using the platform to highlight what he described as strong backing from India and the US under the Trump administration.
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