NEW DELHI - The left parties on Monday staged a protest near the Israel embassy in Delhi against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India.

Communist Party of India leader D Raja said that they were protesting against the Israel Prime Minister’s visit as India do not approve the policies persuade by the Israel government.

“The left parties have decided to communicate that people of India do not approve the policies persuade by the Israel government.

He further alleged that Israel is an illegal occupation of Palestine territories adding that it was not accepting the two-state solution offered by Unite Nation.

“Unless we resolve the Palestine question there cannot be peace and security in West Asia. It is better to address the Palestine question in a proper historic prospective. This message we want to communicate to the visiting Israel head of the state. It is part of our democracy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu hailed a “new era” in ties with India on Monday as he signed a series of deals during the first visit by an Israeli Prime Minister in 15 years. The two countries signed nine pacts to boost cooperation in key areas including cyber-security and after talks, the two Prime Ministers underscored the grave threat terrorism posed and agreed to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Homeland and Public Security next month. The issue of India voting against Israel at the UN on the Jerusalem issue also figured in the talks in which Indian officials maintained that both sides put forth their views and that the two leaders agreed that ties “are not determined by a single issue”.

Describing their talks as “wide-ranging and intensive”, Modi said they reviewed the progress in the bilateral relations and agreed that “the possibilities and the opportunities” that beckon the two countries need to be seized. “We will strengthen the existing pillars of cooperation in areas that touch the lives of our peoples. These are agriculture, science and technology, and security…In defence, I have invited Israeli companies to take advantage of the liberalised FDI regime to make more in India with our companies,” Modi said.

He is accompanied by the largest-ever business delegation to travel with an Israeli leader, including technology, agriculture and defence executives.

“We are ushering today a new era in our relations,” Netanyahu said after their talks.

“We have had diplomatic relations for 25 years, but something different is happening now because of your leadership and our partnership.”

Earlier, Netanyahu said he was “disappointed” by India’s decision to vote for a resolution at the UN General Assembly opposing the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Israel is already a major weapons supplier to India, e porting $1 billion of military equipment annually. Earlier this month India announced it would buy 131 surface-to-air missiles from Israel for its first domestically made aircraft carrier. But New Delhi needs to balance closer ties with Israel with its historic support for the Palestinian cause.

Modi also wants to end India’s status as the world’s top defence importer and encourage foreign companies to transfer their technology to local firms to create much-needed jobs. India has already cancelled a $500 million deal to buy Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles after apparently deciding to manufacture the equipment at home. On Monday Modi said he had invited Israeli defence companies “to take advantage of the liberalised FDI (foreign direct investment) regime to make more in India with our companies”.

Netanyahu is the first Israeli leader to visit India since Ariel Sharon’s trip in 2003. On Tuesday he will visit the Taj Mahal and travel to Modi’s home state of Gujarat before heading to Mumbai where the majority of India’s estimated 4,500 Jews live.

There, he will make an emotional visit to a Jewish centre targeted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Netanyahu is accompanied by 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were among 166 people killed by Pakistani militants in coordinated attacks on the city.

While in Mumbai he will also host a party for Bollywood producers where he will trumpet Israel as a filming location.

India said it was sending a delegation to Israel next month for talks on a free trade agreement.

The two countries have been negotiating the agreement since 2006 with a focus on information technology, biotechnology, and agriculture.

Trade between India and Israel rose to $5 billion in 2016-17 from $4.91 billion in the previous fiscal year.