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Netanyahu said the emerging framework is intended to counter both Iran’s Shiite-led regional axis and a developing radical Sunni bloc.
By United with Israel Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined an ambitious diplomatic vision for a new network of regional partnerships on Sunday, as he announced the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel later this week.
Speaking at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Modi’s arrival on Wednesday would symbolize deepening ties between Jerusalem and New Delhi, which he described as part of a broader effort to build a strategic framework of alliances across and around the Middle East.
“In the vision I see before me, we will create a whole system of alliances,” Netanyahu said, describing what he called a bloc of countries that share similar views on regional challenges and security threats.
The goal, he said, is to establish cooperation among nations that “see reality and the challenges ahead through the same lens” in opposition to radical regional forces.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s close relationship with the United States remains central to its foreign policy, calling the alliance with Washington “unique and historic,” both at the state level and through his personal relationship with President Donald Trump.
At the same time, he stressed that Israel is actively expanding partnerships beyond its traditional allies.
The strengthening relationship with India, he said, reflects years of growing cooperation and personal diplomacy between the two leaders.
Netanyahu described Modi as a personal friend with whom he speaks frequently, noting past reciprocal visits and the steady expansion of ties between the countries.
According to the prime minister, the visit will focus on advancing economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.
Modi is scheduled to address the Knesset, participate in a technology and innovation event in Jerusalem, and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial alongside Netanyahu.
The Israeli leader framed the partnership with India as part of a wider regional strategy that includes Arab countries, Mediterranean partners such as Greece and Cyprus, African states and additional Asian nations.
He said this emerging framework is intended to counter both Iran’s Shiite-led regional axis and what he described as a developing radical Sunni bloc.
“These countries share a different outlook,” Netanyahu said, adding that deeper cooperation could strengthen regional stability while securing Israel’s long-term future.
Netanyahu also highlighted plans to expand technological cooperation with India, particularly in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
“AI and quantum are not the future,” he said. “They are the present, and we want to be among the world’s leading countries in these fields.”
Alongside foreign policy announcements, Netanyahu used the meeting to promote several domestic initiatives.
He said the government is moving forward with plans to establish an additional international airport at Tziklag in southern Israel, arguing that streamlined planning procedures could significantly accelerate construction timelines.
The project will proceed alongside continued development of the Ramat David airport in northern Israel.
“We are going to make history,” Netanyahu said, pointing to efforts to reduce bureaucracy and speed infrastructure development.
The government is also advancing plans for a new community in the Negev near Kiryat Gat, intended primarily for Israel’s growing ultra-Orthodox population. Netanyahu said the initiative forms part of a broader push to expand housing and economic development across southern Israel.
“The Negev still has enormous potential,” he said, adding that further development projects are expected in the region.
Modi’s visit comes as Israel continues to pursue expanded diplomatic and economic partnerships amid shifting regional dynamics, with Netanyahu presenting the evolving alliance network as a central pillar of Israel’s long-term strategic outlook.
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