During a visit to India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “catch up” with Pakistani militants who killed a Jewish couple who were among the dead in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Ultimately we will catch up with the killers but the objective is also to prevent future killers," Netanyahu said about the attack by members of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e Taiba.
Netanyahu made the remarks in New Delhi on January 15, a day after arriving in India for a six-day visit aimed at bolstering relations between the two countries.
India has accused “agencies” in Pakistan, its regional rival, of backing the Mumbai attackers.
Pakistan denies the charge, but also has angered India by releasing the alleged ringleader behind the attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, from jail in 2015 on bail of $1,900.
Netanyahu on January 15 said he was “disappointed” by India’s refusal to support the United States in its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but would not let the issue spoil his visit.
India in December joined more than 100 countries at the United Nations who condemned the U.S. move.
Ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, India also cancelled a $500 million deal to purchase Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles.
Netanyahu said he hopes to reach “an equitable solution” on the missile deal during his visit.
In addition to delegates from Israeli businesses, Netanyahu is accompanied by Moshe Holtzberg, an 11-year-old boy whose parents were among 166 people killed in the Mumbai attacks.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and Press India
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