india

Updated: Sep 04, 2019 01:21 IST

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called off a visit to India scheduled for next week, just days ahead of the country’s elections, because of “scheduling constraints”.

The day-long visit on September 9 was being seen as a key part of Netanyahu’s campaign for the unprecedented repeat general elections on September 17 after he failed to form a coalition government earlier this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has figured prominently, along with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in posters for Netanyahu’s campaign.

People familiar with developments said Netanyahu called Modi on Tuesday morning to inform him of the change in plans. Netanyahu had also called off a visit that was scheduled to take place before India’s general election held in April-May.

“A short time ago, the prime minister spoke with India’s prime minister. The two agreed, due to scheduling constraints, that the (Israeli) prime minister’s visit would take place after the elections,” Netanyahu’s spokesperson Shir Cohen said in a brief statement sent to the media.

Netanyahu and Modi, the first Indian premier to visit Israel, have forged a close relationship in recent years. Media reports had suggested that several agreements, especially in defence, agriculture and water management, were expected to be signed during Netanyahu’s visit.

Both leaders have made high-profile visits to each other’s country. Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat travelled to India in January and met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and Modi.

Reports in the Israeli media on Tuesday suggested the change in Netanyahu’s travel plans was linked to another high-profile event being arranged with an eye on the election. The reports further suggested this could be a visit to Israel by Trump or Putin, or a trip by Netanyahu to the US or Russia.