The Indian Government on Sunday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Jewish nation, dates for which will be decided later. This makes Modi the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish Nation.

Israel is the third largest arms supplier to India, besides United States of America and Russia. Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'lon visited India earlier this year in the first such ministerial visit despite India having bought Israeli defence equipment worth around ten billion dollars over the last 15 years.

Over the decades, Israel has been waiting for an Indian prime ministerial visit though it hosted many Indian leaders, both from the Centre and the states. The Modi government itself signals the priority of the bilateral strategic ties with the nation by sending Union home minister Rajnath Singh there in November last year.

The announcement by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday that Modi will be travelling to Israel next year might have played Symphony in Israel Government’s ears. Though Modi has visited Israel in 2006 as Gujarat Chief Minister, this will be his first in Prime Ministerial cadre.

On its part, there was a prime ministerial visit from Israel to India in 2003 when then PM Ariel Sharon came on a state visit.

While sharing the government's decision, Swaraj also said that she herself will be travelling to Israel later this year in a west Asia swing that will also include stops in Palestine and Jordan.

Israel notches around one billion dollars in annual arms sales to India, ranging from a wide array of missiles to spy and armed drones. Cooperation in the defence sector got a major leg-up after Israel rushed emergency defence supplies to India during the 1999 Kargil conflict.

- Manohar