Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he enjoys more support and followers from India than from anywhere else in the world, underlining the deepening strategic and public connect between India and Israel amid rapidly shifting geopolitical realities in West Asia.Speaking during an interaction on Israel’s regional strategy, alliances and technological rise, Netanyahu described India as a key strategic partner and contrasted it with what he termed growing “delegitimisation” faced by Israel in several parts of the world.“We have problems of delegitimisation in the world, but not in India,” Netanyahu said.“There is tremendous love for Israel there — truly tremendous. I think I have more followers from India than from anywhere else, although of course they have 1.4 billion people,” he added.Netanyahu’s remarks came while outlining Israel’s efforts to expand its regional and global alliances in the aftermath of the ongoing conflict involving Iran and its regional proxies.Referring to India as a “huge power”, the Israeli Prime Minister said the relationship with New Delhi formed part of a broader strategic realignment extending beyond the traditional contours of the Middle East.“What you are talking about is the expansion of these alliances into a larger space. And the larger space is indeed our unique connection with a huge power called India,” he said.Netanyahu also referred to his widely publicised engagements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent years, including their meetings that symbolised the growing warmth in bilateral ties.The Israeli Prime Minister said countries across regions were increasingly seeking partnerships with Israel because of its military capabilities, technological innovation and economic strength.“Today Israel has demonstrated its determination, offensiveness, stratagems and also its technology. The desire to connect with us stems from all these reasons — from military capability and initiative, but also from leadership in future industries,” he said.Netanyahu asserted that Israel was no longer looking at alliances only within the immediate Middle East region, but was expanding partnerships across a wider geopolitical arc involving India, the Mediterranean, the Gulf and parts of Africa.The remarks assume significance amid steadily expanding India-Israel cooperation in defence, technology, agriculture, cyber security and innovation over the past decade.India and Israel elevated ties to a strategic partnership in recent years, with Prime Minister Modi becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in 2017. Netanyahu later visited India in 2018, with both sides deepening cooperation in areas ranging from defence manufacturing to water management and artificial intelligence.Netanyahu also highlighted Israel’s emergence as what he described as a “small global power” driven by technological advancement and innovation.“The world is changing at tremendous speed. The second strongest thing we have, and perhaps the first, is technological advancement, and we must continue advancing it,” he said.Netanyahu further claimed that even major European powers were increasingly approaching Israel for advanced military and technological cooperation.The Israeli Prime Minister’s comments come at a time when India has carefully balanced its ties in West Asia while maintaining strong relations with both Israel and key Arab countries amid the evolving regional conflict.