Israeli defense minister pushes security cooperation, trade in India
Defense Minister Benny Gantz's twice-postponed trip to India that finally took place last week.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited India June 2, marking 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries and seeking to expand their flourishing defense relationship. Gantz met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh as well as national security adviser Ajit Doval.
Gantz's Chief of Staff Mayaan Israeli, head of the International Defense Cooperation Directorate at Israel's Defense Ministry Yair Kulas, IDF Political-Military Bureau head Dror Shalom, Military Secretary Brig. Gen. Yaki Dolf, Israel's defense attache to India Col. Asaf Maller and Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon were all part of the delegation.
Gantz was originally supposed to visit India at the end of March/beginning of April, but just days prior to his planned departure, his office discovered that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was scheduled to visit India very shortly before him. Gantz’s office announced plans to move up his Delhi visit to precede Bennett’s by four days.
Ultimately, neither one of them ended up going then. Bennett succumbed to COVID-19 and a wave of deadly terror attacks in Israeli urban centers kept Gantz at home to deal with the fallout. Bennett’s visit has been postponed indefinitely.
