On Tuesday (November 2), Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to join his ‘New Right’ party, given his popularity in the Jewish nation. Bennett made the remarks during a sideline interaction at the COP26 climate summit at Glasgow in the United States.
In a video shared by the official handle of the BJP, PM Naftali Bennett could be heard as saying, “You are the most popular person in Israel…” PM Modi responded with a thank you. He then asked the Indian Prime Minister to join his ‘New Right’ party. “Come and join my party,” Bennett remarked as both world leaders broke into fits of laughter.
The video clip of the light-hearted conversation has gone viral on social media. PM Modi and Naftali Bennett met formally for the first time during the COP26 summit. Reportedly, they reviewed bilateral ties and vowed to expand cooperation in the fields of innovation and technology. “Glad to have met, yet again, PM Naftali Bennett. We had fruitful talks on boosting India-Israel friendship in sectors such as research, innovation and futuristic technologies. These sectors are critical for empowering our youngsters,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
During their meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister emphasised on the ‘deep relationship’ between the two countries. He said, “I want to thank you. You’re the person who restarted the relationship between India and Israel, which is a deep relationship between two unique civilizations – the Indian civilization, the Jewish civilization – and I know it comes from your heart. It’s not about interests; it’s about a deep conviction that you harbour and we feel it.”
Naftali Bennett was also invited to visit India by PM Modi on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Reportedly, the Israeli Prime Minister had visited India on three occasions in the past as a Minister of his country.