Mr. Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister of Israel, and his delegation pays a courtesy visit to CM Shri Bhupendra Patel

Gandhinagar, Sept 2025: Mr. Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister of Israel, and his delegation paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar.

On his first visit to India, the Finance Minister of Israel visited Gujarat and held a meeting with the Chief Minister.

Mr. Bezalel Smotrich emphasized the shared heritage, traditions, culture, and technology between India, Gujarat, and Israel, and engaged in meaningful discussions on further strengthening these ties in the future.

Finance Minister of Israel stated that he visited Gujarat with the desire to see the birthplace of a distinguished leader like Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to explore opportunities for business relations and for Israel to operate in international financial hubs such as GIFT City. 

He noted that the close ties between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Israel, along with their shared commitment to combating terrorism, have further strengthened relations between the two countries. Mr. Bezalel Smotrich also lauded India’s consistent support for Israel and expressed interest in learning about the use of UPI and financial protocols.

CM emphasized that under the visionary leadership of  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s ties with Israel have grown stronger. He also noted Israel’s firm stance and significant progress in upholding a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.

CM stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is firmly committed to eradicating terrorism and that India stands ready to extend steadfast support to Israel in its fight against terrorism.

CM added that, under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has earned recognition as a trusted nation in the global community, while the Swaraj ( self-government) achieved by Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has evolved into Surajya—good governance.

CM stated that the expertise of Israel in drip irrigation has enabled high agricultural yields with minimal water use. He said that the state government is positively inclined towards collaborating on this, along with other developmental projects in Gujarat.

Welcoming the deep interest shown by the Finance Minister of Israel in investments and business opportunities in GIFT City, CM said that a joint team of officials from the Government of Gujarat and Israel could be formed to engage in discussions and explore further opportunities in this direction.

During the meeting, CM also conveyed his condolences to the citizens who lost their lives in the recent incidents in Israel. He further commended  Israel’s resilience and determination in facing challenges.

Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Shri M. K. Das, Principal Secretary of the Finance Department, Dr. T. Natarajan, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Smt Avantika Singh, Secretary, Finance, Smt Arti Kanwar, and Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr. Vikrant Pandey were present for the meeting.

Source: Information Department, Gujarat