Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called off his September 9 visit to India because of scheduling constraints ahead of the country’s national elections later this month.
This was the second time this year that Tel Aviv cancelled Netanyahu’s trip to India. He had planned to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the one-day trip. The two sides were expected to sign several bilateral agreements, some in the defence sector.
There are speculations in the Israeli media that Netanyahu had to cancel his Delhi date to accommodate another high-profile meeting before the polls. It could be a visit by the American or the Russian president, or he might travel to Moscow or Washington himself.
Netanyahu spoke to Modi over the phone on Tuesday when he decided to cancel his visit in the backdrop of their strong chemistry. “The two agreed that due to scheduling constraints, the (Israeli) prime minister’s visit will take place after the elections,” Shir Cohen, spokesperson for the Isralei PM, said in a short statement to reporters.
“The prime minister’s visit to Delhi ahead of the September 17 polls was widely seen as a boost to his Likud party’s election strategy, which has been stressing on his close ties with world leaders. Modi is one of the three foreign statesmen — with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — who appears on huge campaign posters outside Likud’s Tel Aviv headquarters,” according to a report in Times of Israel.
“On Monday, Hebrew media reported that Jerusalem has been discussing with the White House a grand presidential gesture on the US’ commitment to Israeli security in the coming days, including a possible statement on the two allies’ intent to enter into a defence pact,” Times of Israel reported.