PM Modi becomes first Indian Prime Minister to address Israel's Knesset
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Special Plenary of the Knesset in Jerusalem on 25 February 2026, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli parliament, and was conferred the 'Medal of the Knesset'.
Summary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Special Plenary of the Knesset in Jerusalem on 25 February 2026, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli parliament, on the first day of his state visit to Israel. Earlier that day he was received at the airport in Tel Aviv by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his spouse Sara Netanyahu. At the Knesset he was welcomed by Speaker Amir Ohana; Netanyahu, Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid and Ohana spoke before him. Modi condemned the 7 October terror attack, backed the Gaza Peace Initiative endorsed by the UN Security Council, called for deeper work in the IMEC and I2U2 frameworks and for early finalisation of a Free Trade Agreement, and welcomed the conclusion of the Bilateral Investment Treaty. He compared India's 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' with the Israeli principle of 'Tikkun Olam' (healing the world). Speaker Ohana then conferred on him the 'Medal of the Knesset'.
Key facts
- Date and place
- 25 February 2026, Knesset, Jerusalem
- First
- First Indian PM to address the Israeli parliament
- Honour
- Medal of the Knesset, conferred by Speaker Amir Ohana
- Arrival
- Tel Aviv airport, received by PM Netanyahu
- Frameworks cited
- IMEC, I2U2
- Trade
- Bilateral Investment Treaty concluded; called for early FTA
- Ethos
- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Tikkun Olam
Practice MCQs 4 questions
On 25 February 2026, Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address which body?
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Correct answer: A — Israel's Knesset
Modi addressed a Special Plenary of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem — the first Indian PM to do so.
Which honour was conferred on PM Modi after his address to the Knesset in February 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Medal of the Knesset
Speaker Amir Ohana bestowed the 'Medal of the Knesset' on PM Modi after the address.
Who was the Speaker of the Knesset who received PM Modi on 25 February 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Amir Ohana
Speaker Amir Ohana received PM Modi; Yair Lapid spoke as Leader of the Opposition.
Consider the following statements about PM Modi's Knesset address of 25 February 2026: 1. He called for deeper India–Israel interaction in the IMEC and I2U2 frameworks. 2. He compared India's 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' with the Israeli principle of 'Tikkun Olam', meaning 'healing the world'. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct as per the PMO release on the address.