NEW DELHI/TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Narendra Modi begins a first visit to Israel by an Indian prime minister on Tuesday, in a public embrace of a country that he has long admired for its military and technical expertise but which his predecessors kept at arm's length.
India has traditionally trodden a careful diplomatic line in the region, analysts say, wary of upsetting Arab states and Iran - upon whom it relies for its vast imports of oil - and its large Muslim minority. It has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, even as it quietly pursued ties with Israel.