New Delhi, September 9: Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voiced optimism about resolving trade tensions with the United States, saying ongoing negotiations on tariffs will ultimately lead to an agreement.
Speaking to ANI in Delhi, Smotrich highlighted the long-standing ties between India, Israel, and the US, noting that differences in trade policies are natural but can be addressed through dialogue.
“India and America go back many years. Israel and India go back many years… Each of the bilateral relations goes back many years, and it’s perfectly okay that there are differences within this relationship,” Smotrich said.
Praise for India-Israel-US Partnership
Smotrich credited the strong personal ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Donald Trump, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for strengthening economic and diplomatic relations among the three nations.
He emphasised that shared values, mutual friends, common economic interests, and even common adversaries make the partnership resilient.
“I’m sure, however long it takes, we’ll reach an agreement on this,” he said, referring to the tariff negotiations.
The remarks come after the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports, with an additional 25% levy linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
Backing India’s stance, Smotrich said he was confident India and the US could find a mutually beneficial solution, adding that Israel has “no issue” with India buying Russian crude oil despite ongoing sanctions on Moscow.
“Russia is under international sanctions because of the war in Ukraine. This war has been going on for a few years. I am sure that America and India can both work these issues out between them,” Smotrich noted.
Smotrich said behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts are underway to strengthen India-Israel-US economic cooperation, even as global trade faces disruptions from geopolitical conflicts and supply chain constraints.
He stressed that Israel values its economic partnership with India and sees it as central to its broader trade strategy in Asia.