The Israeli Prime Minister said there were still several regions across the world where Israel continued to receive strong public support despite growing international criticism over its military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. Referring to India’s population and ties with Israel, Netanyahu stated, “There are places where Israel is still respected. India has 1.4 billion people, and Israel is very popular there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with great affection here. And I went to India with my wife, and it was a love fest.”
Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in 2017, marking a significant moment in bilateral relations between the two nations. Netanyahu later visited India in 2018 for a five-day tour, which was widely viewed as a reciprocal diplomatic outreach aimed at strengthening strategic and economic cooperation.
Netanyahu’s remarks come at a time when Israel and its leadership are facing increasing criticism globally over the continuing bombardment in Gaza since 2023, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The conflict has also intensified violence across Lebanon, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, further damaging Israel’s international image.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 60 percent of adults in the United States now hold an unfavourable opinion of Israel, compared to 53 percent last year. The survey further revealed that 59 percent of Americans have little or no confidence in Netanyahu’s ability to handle world affairs responsibly.
The findings also showed that younger voters in both major American political parties — Republicans and Democrats — increasingly view both Israel and Netanyahu negatively. Majorities of adults below the age of 50 in both parties reportedly expressed unfavourable opinions regarding Israel’s actions and leadership.
During the interview, Netanyahu blamed Pakistan for contributing to Israel’s declining reputation on social media platforms. He alleged that Pakistan-based “bot farms” were actively manipulating online discourse in the United States to weaken support for Israel and damage the American-Israeli alliance.
“Countries that want to weaken the American-Israeli alliance are manipulating social media with bot farms,” Netanyahu claimed during the programme. He further alleged that fake social media accounts were posing as American citizens while spreading anti-Israel narratives online. “They post like, ‘I’m a red-blooded Texan who supported Israel, but now I can’t stand them.’ Then you check, and it’s a guy sitting in a basement in Pakistan,” he said.
The Israeli Prime Minister also claimed that similar propaganda networks from Pakistan had previously targeted India through coordinated misinformation campaigns, fake news operations, and anti-India content across digital platforms.
Netanyahu’s comments have emerged amid intensifying global debate over Israel’s military actions, rising civilian casualties in Gaza, and the growing influence of online information warfare in shaping international public opinion. His remarks highlighting India’s support reflect the continuing strategic relationship between New Delhi and Tel Aviv even as Israel faces mounting criticism across several parts of the world.
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