In India, Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz Discusses Security Cooperation

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz arrived in India to discuss security cooperation. Gantz met with his counterpart, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, upon his arrival on Thursday, a day later than originally planned after the opposition in the Knesset refused to agree to offset his absence during votes in the Knesset, a time-honored accommodation under which an opposition lawmaker agrees as a courtesy to abstain from a vote in order to cancel each other out. Gantz was met upon his arrival with an honor guard, after which he and Singh signed a joint declaration marking 30 years of Israel-India relations and reiterated their commitment to deepening defense ties. The two men discussed topics including strategic global challenges, military cooperation, defense industrial cooperation and joint R&D, according to a statement from Gantz’s office. They also discussed partnerships within the Government-to-Government framework, military training, and technological cooperation with a focus on UAVs and defensive capabilities. Gantz also honored fallen troops at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The visit had been postponed from late March when a visit by Gantz was canceled due to a wave of attacks on Israelis in the country and in the West Bank.