New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he spoke with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and invited him to light a torch alongside brave Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on Israel's Independence Day.

In a post on X, the Israeli Prime Minister also said that PM Modi appreciated the "strong, long-standing ties" between the two countries.

"I spoke with my friend, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and invited him to light a torch alongside a brave Indian pilot on Israel's Independence Day," said Netanyahu, who is in the midst of a close race for re-election.

"Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that, on the ground and in the air, India and Israel are fighting together against terrorism," he ...