Bosom buddies: Prime Minister Netanyahu with India's PM Narendra Modi
Bosom buddies: Prime Minister Netanyahu with India's PM Narendra ModiAvi Ohayon, GPO

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated his Israeli counterpart Binyamin Netanyahu for his victory in the elections - in both Hebrew and English.

Modi tweeted two messages of congratulations to Netanyahu in both languages, noting that he remembered their meeting in New York last September.

Modi has been touted as a staunch ally of Israel. He recently approved the purchase of 262 Israeli-made Barak 1 surface-to-air missiles, in a $144 million deal that will arm India's 14 battleships over the course of five years.

India’s Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh visited Israel in November, becoming the first Indian Home Minister to visit Israel since a 2000 trip that began resurgent bilateral ties.

It was recently reported that Modi was considering changing his country’s traditional pro-Palestinian Arab stance and abstain in United Nations votes related to the Palestinian Authority.