We love India,’ Netanyahu
tells leader of world’s largest democracy, as three day trip to Israel — first
ever for an Indian PM — kicks off. Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel Tuesday afternoon for a three-day
visit both countries lauded as a historic affirmation of the ties between the
two nations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted the Indian leader
after he touched down at Ben Gurion International Airport at a red carpet
ceremony that included an honor guard of IDF soldiers and dozens of Israeli
dignitaries.
Billed
as a celebration of the 25-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
ties, Modi’s visit marks the first to Israel by an Indian head of government.
Besides sit-downs with senior politicians and business leaders, his packed
itinerary includes meeting a Jewish victim of a terror attack in Mumbai;
visiting a flower farm, a desalination plant and the Israel Museum; headlining
a rally for thousands of Indians living in Israel; and laying wreaths at a military
cemetery in Haifa.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second right, greets his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, second left, during an official ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport on July 4, 2017. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)
In a welcome speech on the tarmac, under shade against the
blazing sun of an ongoing heatwave, Netanyahu told Modi, “Prime minister, we’ve
been waiting for you a long time, 70 years in fact. The connection between us
is natural, so natural that we might ask, “What took so long?”
“Yours
is truly a historic visit,” he continued. “It’s the first time an Indian prime
minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India. We
love your culture, your history, your democracy. We view you as kindred
spirits.”
Taking to the podium Modi declared, in Hebrew, “Shalom, I am
happy to be here.”
Switching
to English he continued, “It’s my singular honor to be the first ever prime
minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel.”
Modi then thanked “my friend Prime Minister Netanyahu for the
invitation and for receiving me with so much warmth,” and promised to build “a
strong and resilient partnership with Israel.”
“My
visit celebrates the strength of centuries-old links between our societies,” he
added. “The people of Israel have built a nation on democratic principles. They
have nurtured it with hard work and the spirit of innovation. India applauds
your achievements.”
Modi, who visited Israel for the first time in 2006 as chief
minister of Gujarat, made mention of Netanyahu’s brother Yoni, who was killed
on July 4, 1976 during a raid to free Israeli hostages being held in Entebbe
Uganda.
“Your heroes are an inspiration for the younger generations,” he
said.
“Friends, India is a very old civilization, but a young nation.
Eight hundred million people in India are below 25 years of age. The talented
and skilled youth of India are also its driving force.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C-L) greets his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi (C-R) during an official ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport on July 4, 2017. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)
Modi’s
visit is expected to focus on bolstering economic and defense ties. India has
in recent years become one of Israel’s largest arms purchasers.
Netanyahu said the two countries are establishing a $40 million
innovation fund “as a seed for further innovation” and are working together in
“water, agriculture, security, energy, many, many other fields.”
“It’s said that in Silicon Valley in California, the two
most-heard languages are Hindi and Hebrew,” the Israeli prime minister quipped.
“Occasionally one hears native English too.”
To
underline the importance Jerusalem is ascribing to Modi’s visit, Netanyahu
cleared his schedule to be at his prominent guest’s side throughout almost the
entire time he is in the country. This kind of attention by an Israeli prime
minister is usually reserved for American presidents.
“I will accompany the prime minister at many events during his
visit, as befits the leader of the largest democracy in the world,” Netanyahu
said Monday during the weekly cabinet meeting..
Besides
the high symbolic value and the diplomatic meetings, Modi’s visit has a strong
economic focus as well. The two countries are set to establish a new
“India-Israel CEOs Forum,” which is expected to serve as a hub to foster trade
and commerce.
“I will join with leading Indian and Israeli CEOs and startups
to discuss our shared priority of expanding business and investment
collaboration on the ground,” Modi wrote on Facebook. “In addition, I hope to
get insights into Israel’s accomplishments in technology and innovation through
on-site visits.”
.En route from the airport to Jerusalem, the two prime ministers
were to stop at the Mishmar Hashiva moshav to visit the Danziger Dan Flower Farm, one of Israel’s leading
floriculture companies. Together with Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, the prime
ministers will learn about the “innovative” way in which the flowers are
produced there, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
On Thursday morning, Modi and Netanyahu will take a helicopter
ride to Haifa, where they will visit a cemetery where Indian soldiers who fought in World War I are buried.
Modi is expected to lay two wreaths — one for Hindu and one for Muslims
soldiers — “who laid down their lives during the liberation of Haifa in 1918,”
as he explained in his Facebook post.
On their way back to Tel Aviv, Modi and Netanyahu will stop at
Olga Beach to visit a water desalination unit operated by G.A.L. Water Technologies.
“Israel’s extreme water crises in the past place it in a unique position to
understand India’s quest for efficient water solutions,” the two prime
ministers wrote. “The cost effective adaptation of Israeli technology to
India’s needs could create new solutions that we could use to help address the water
challenges of other developing nations across the globe.”
In 1992, when diplomatic ties were established, bilateral trade
was at about $200 million. Today, it reaches $5 billion, one-fifth of which is
in Israeli defense exports.
Indian
PM affirms ‘kinship’ with Israel, where he feels ‘at home’
In Jerusalem, President
Reuven Rivlin calls Narendra Modi ‘one the greatest leaders of the world today’
Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and President Reuven Rivlin shake hands during a meeting in
Rivlin's Jerusalem residence on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 (courtesy)
Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi spoke on Wednesday morning of the “kinship” he feels with Israel,
hailing the rapidly improving relations between the two countries, and
especially the burgeoning trade ties.
Modi arrived Tuesday, making him the first-ever
head of India’s government to visit the Jewish state. “Israel is a real friend and I have really
felt that feeling of kinship. I feel absolutely at home here,” Modi said during
a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem. “Your Excellency, you
yourself broke protocol and stepped onto the road [at the President’s
Residence] to receive me, and this is a mark of respect to the entire Indian
nation comprising 1.25 billion people,” he added.
“You have expressed
your love and your sentiments for our country. For that, I would especially
like to thank you and express my gratitude.”
Rivlin heartily
welcomed the prime minister to his residence.
“We have a lot in
common, we are doing a lot in common,” he said, praising Modi for understanding
the need of fostering both government-to-government and business-to-government
relations. “It’s really a pleasure to have as a guest one of the greatest
leaders in the world today. Prime Minister, welcome,” Rivlin concluded.
Modi, dressed all in black, recalled Rivlin’s visit to India
eight months ago, praising the president for making an effort to visit several
cities to get a full picture of the the country. At the time, Rivlin said he
wanted to turn Modi’s dictum “Make in India” to “Make with India,” seeking to promote the joint
flourishing of both economies.
Modi on Wednesday
endorsed Rivlin’s idea. “In your introductory words, you used all sorts of
phrases used in the world of trade and commerce, such as G2G and B2B et cetera,
but in the real world what we see today is ‘I for I,’ and ‘I with I.’ And when
I say ‘I for I’ I don’t mean the popular saying, what I mean is India with
Israel and India for Israel,” he said.
Indian
Prime Minister Nerenda Modi hugs President Reuven Rivlin upon arriving at the
President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 (courtesy)
About 12,000
non-Jewish Indian nationals currently live and work in Israel, as well as some
80,000 Israeli Jews with at least one parent of Indian origin. Only 5,000 Jews
remain in India today.
India and Israel on Wednesday announced that the two countries will safeguard each other's strategic interests and cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and
terrorism, besides concluding seven agreements in development and space sectors during the maiden visit by an Indian PM to Jerusalem.
The two sides also decided to jointly develop defence products in the future with transfer of Israeli technology under the 'Make in India' initiative. In a visit marked by extraordinary warmth and friendly gestures, the two sides, both victims of terror, decided to walk the extra mile to counter the menace. "India and Israel live in complex geographies. We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel," PM Modi said in his press statement following talks with his counterpart
Benjamin Netanyahu.
"...Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism," Modi said.
The two leaders emphasised the importance of enhanced dialogue between their national cyber authorities and expressed their commitment to expand and accelerate cooperation in this sphere including laying a mutual roadmap for its implementation. The two PMs also discussed the situation in West Asia and beyond.
"It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail," Modi said at the joint presser with his host. The two leaders discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements. The joint statement said "the leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups".
