Modi arrived, saw a slice of Israel, conquered hearts on debut day
BOND WITH THE BEST Both nations vow to give bilateral ties a mega push and tackle menace of terror together
Laying the foundation of a new chapter in relations with Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his visit on Tuesday, receiving an extraordinary welcome by the Jewish nation.
The personal chemistry and the warmth between Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was apparent in their remarks and their hugs.
Reflecting the importance that Israel is according to the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Israel’s establishment 70 years ago, the host nation pulled out all stops to welcome Modi — Netanyahu broke protocol to come to the Ben Gurion airport, an honour reserved only for the US President and the Pope; Netanyahu’s entire Cabinet was also present as were representatives of various religious orders.
In their prepared speeches, both leaders described each other as, “my friend” and embraced each other three times.
“Aapka swagat hai, mere dost
(welcome, my friend),” Netanyahu said in Hindi, adding, “We love India.” Modi responded by speaking a few words in Hebrew, “Shalom (hello), I am happy to be here.”
Behind the overt affection and friendship, lies deep political significance as India for the first time has delinked its relationship with Israel from its traditional support to Palestine. But, India now hopes to leverage its relationship with Israel to attract more investment, and gain from Israeli cutting-edge technology and defence.
“It is truly a historic visit,” said Netanyahu while welcoming Modi who was wearing a cream colour ‘band gala’ suit and a dark blue handkerchief in the pocket.
At the start of the threeday visit, Modi was also accorded a Guard of Honour after an Israeli military band played the national anthems of the two countries.
Hailing Modi as “a great leader of India and a great world leader”, Netanyahu said, “we have been waiting for the last 70 years” for a visit by an Indian Prime Minister.
They vowed to give a push to the bilateral ties and jointly deal with common threats like terrorism. “I remember what you told me in our first meeting — when it comes to India and Israel relations, the sky is the limit. But now, Prime Minister, let me add even sky is not the limit. We are also cooperating in space,” Netanyahu told Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited Israel’s Yad Vashem memorial and honoured the victims of the Holocaust, among the greatest tragedies in human history as some six million Jews were killed by Nazi Germany. Modi was accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel’s largest Holocaust memorial.
“So that the light of humanity always shines through us. PM pays homage to 6 million lives lost in the Holocaust at Yad Vashem Memorial,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, along with the pictures of Modi at the Yad Vashem memorial.
The leaders toured the Hall of Names, containing photographs and names of Holocaust victims, and the Children’s Memorial and participated in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.
Following the visit, Netanyahu suggested that he and Modi visit Binyamin Ze’ev (Theodor) Herzl’s grave on which Indian Prime Minister Modi agreed. Theodor Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was one of the fathers of modern political Zionism, a movement to establish a Jewish homeland.
Yad Vashem started as an organisation in 1953 on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance near Jerusalem, as a form of reference to future generations, documenting the memory of Holocaust victims and the history of the Jewish people during the tragic time.The museum occupies over 4,200 square metres - mainly underground and emphasises the experiences of the individual victims through original artifacts, survivor testimonies and personal possessions.
Shaped as a prism penetrating the mountain, the new Yad Vashem opened in 2005. Its architecture sets the atmosphere for the nine chilling galleries of interactive historical displays which present the Holocaust in several ways.