The Real Reason for Modi’s Visit to Israel.

To kickstart the India-Israel-Mediteranian Trade Trainline.

BARRY SHAW | Feb 27, 2026

The main thrust of Modi’s visit to Jerusalem was lost in the emotion of the moment. But his visit had one major purpose.

To initiate the much vaunted India-Israel-Mediteranian commercial trainline.

The economic side will be taken up in a forthcoming Knesset decision to advance the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor project.

This isn’t just empty rhetoric. The decision will commit Israel to building the infrastructure, bureaucracy and diplomatic framework needed to become a key transit corridor between India and Europe. That includes a rail connection to Jordan; increasing the border crossing capacity for vehicles (from about 50,000 to 210,000 trucks annually, potentially more); and building logistics hubs, “dry ports,” storage facilities and freight terminals.

The project will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in government revenue from transportation alone, not to mention the wider benefits of increased economic activity and lower import costs. But that’s not the only incentive.

Normalization is a large element of the IMEC project. Despite the Saudis’ recent coldness, they are still laying train tracks that would physically bind them to Israel via Jordan.

A train to Jordan may seem like a simple thing, but Israel has never had a rail connection with any of its neighbors. Before Israeli independence, you could hop on a train in Damascus and step out in Amman or Haifa, or take a train in Jaffa and ride along the coast to Beirut.

Modi’s visit was more than shining hope onto this project. His visit was the incentive to push this dream into a reality.