Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today left on a four-day visit to Israel in which key ongoing and future defence projects between the two countries will be discussed. An official release said, Mr Raha's visit is aimed at consolidating the existing robust bilateral military to military cooperation between India and Israel. During the visit, the Air Chief is scheduled to call on the Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon besides holding meetings with other senior defence officials of that country. The parleys would essentially focus on a wide range of bilateral issues pertaining to the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries.<br/><br/>During his visit to the various operational air bases, Mr Raha would also go to the Israeli Air Force Flight School at Hatzerim air base. He would also be updated on the progress of various defence projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries.<br/><br/>The itinerary also includes a visit to 'Yad Vashem', Israel's memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and another to the 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' who laid down their lives in the liberation of Haifa during first World War. In recent years, there have been several close and high level contacts at the political and military levels between the two countries. His visit to Israel would further boost bilateral relations between the Air Forces of the two countries and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level.