Narendra Modi enjoyed an overwhelmingly warm welcome as he touched down on Israeli soil at the start of his 'groundbreaking' visit to the ally country.

The leader's tour of the Jewish state - the very first by a sitting Indian prime minister - is aimed at celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations and strengthening his country's already warm ties with the Jewish state led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Israeli officials said the warm treatment bestowed on the Indian leader goes well beyond diplomatic protocol and reflected the importance of the visit.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi became only the third figure to be greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the tarmac

Prime Minister Netanyahu greeted Modi at Israel's international airport near Tel Aviv and will accompany the Indian leader throughout the three-day visit. Modi became only the third person to be greeted personally by Netanyahu after the Pope and US President Donald Trump.

Modi, who will not be meeting Palestinian officials during the visit, was welcomed with an honor guard and greeted Netanyahu with his trademark bear hug - also afforded to US President Donald Trump last week - as he alighted the aircraft.

'We receive you with open arms. We love India. We admire your culture, we admire your history, your democracy, your commitment to progress,' Netanyahu said. 'We view you as kindred spirits in our common quest to provide a better future for our peoples and for our world.'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with one of his trademark bear hugs on the tarmac of the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv

In a rare move, Netanyahu will also join Modi on every step of his three day tour

Modi said it was a 'singular honour' to be the first sitting prime minister of India to visit Israel.

'Alongside building a partnership for shared economic prosperity, we are also cooperating to secure our societies against common threats such as terrorism,' he said. 'A progressive partnership in all these areas will shape the scope of my conversation with prime minister, my friend, Netanyahu.'

The warm welcome afforded to Modi left many on social media stunned but keen to celebrate what the huge gesture means for relations. Many were also keen to point out that the Israeli premier was wearing a Tiranga broach alongside one bearing his own national flag, in a mark of respect.

Omar Abdullah commented: 'The two PMs leaving no one in any doubt about the depth and warmth int he relations.'

'Modi has broken the old barriers and divisions of India diplomacy, reaching out to the entire world and all friends of India #ModiinIsrael,' added Dr David Frawley.

Meanwhile Sadanand Dhume said the visit was a 'long overdue corrective' and Yashwant Deshmukh called the welcome given to Modi 'flattering'.

But while most were jubilant, not everyone was celebrating the visit

Not everyone was jubilant, though. One Twitter user claimed Modi, like his Israeli counterpart, was pursuing 'far right politics in India while fanning anti-Muslim sentiment'.

During the Cold War, India was a leading member of the Nonaligned Movement of developing countries and sided staunchly with the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel. Before ties were established in 1992, India would not even allow its citizens to enter Israel on an Indian passport.

But over the past quarter century, the two countries have cultivated warm ties, particularly in the areas of technology and defence cooperation.

Modi said it was a 'singular honour' to be the first sitting prime minister of India to visit Israel

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures upon arrival in Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv

India is a major purchaser of Israeli arms. This year, Israel's state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries has announced over $2 billion in contracts to provide air and missile-defence systems to India.

Rafael, another state-owned defence contractor, is trying to finalise a deal to sell 8,000 'Spike' anti-tank missiles to India in a deal that is reportedly valued at some $1 billion, according to an industry expert familiar with the deal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Netanyahu will join Modi at virtually every stop of a packed schedule that included a trip to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on Tuesday.

Netanyahu will join Modi at virtually every stop of a packed schedule that included a trip to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on Tuesday

Together they will also have meetings with high-tech executives, stop at a cemetery for Indian soldiers killed during World War One, attend a cultural event with Indian Jews, and observe an Israeli desalination machine. The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks on Wednesday.

Yuval Rotem, the director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, said the decision for Netanyahu to spend so much time with Modi is not a standard practice for visiting dignitaries and indicated 'the highest level of importance' attached to the visit.

Mark Sofer, the ministry's deputy director for Asia and the Pacific, said the meetings would focus on various areas of technology, including cybersecurity and space research, with a particular focus on Israeli water and agricultural technologies. He said a joint statement is to come on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi (C-L) greet religious officials during an official ceremony at the airport

At the airport ceremony, Netanyahu announced the establishment of a $40 million innovation fund to promote technological cooperation.

Modi is also set to visit an Israeli boy whose parents were killed in a massacre by Islamic militants in Mumbai in 2008, along with the Indian nanny who rescued him. The boy, who is now 10, returned to Israel with the nanny after the attack, and the woman still lives in the country.

In a departure from standard protocol, Modi will not be visiting the Palestinians, though all sides have tried to play down the decision.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Modi in India in May, and Indian officials say they handled all their business at the time.

Palestinian officials likewise say that Abbas' meeting in May was a sign of strong relations, and that India remains a close ally. Abbas, in any case, is out of the country for the next week.