Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrived in Israel today on an official visit. Upon his arrival at the Tel Aviv airport, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Prime Minister of Israel, His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu and his spouse, Mrs. Sara Netanyahu.
After the arrival ceremony, the two Prime Ministers had a brief meeting at the hotel. The Prime Minister was warmly and enthusiastically welcomed by members of the Indian community and representatives of the Jewish diaspora. The reception featured a splendid cultural performance by Indian and Israeli artists, which symbolized the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received with full state honours by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Speaker Amir Ohana at the Knesset, the Parliament of Israel.
On this occasion, Israeli MPs applauded, stood up and chanted “Modi, Modi”.
Speaker Ohana praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, calling him the leader of the world’s largest democracy. He greeted him with “Namaste” and enthusiastically raised the slogan “Jai Hind”, which resonated in the house and reflected the deep ties between India and Israel.
The Israeli Parliament on Wednesday awarded Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal” after his address in the Knesset.
This is the first time that this medal has been awarded, with which he became the first recipient of the Knesset’s highest honor. The honor was given in recognition of his leadership and personal role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India and Israel.
Prime Minister Modi has joined the few world leaders to be awarded the highest honors by both Israel and Palestine. He was also awarded the “Grand Collar of the State of Palestine” by Palestine in 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Israeli parliament Knesset, expressed his determination to further strengthen the historical, cultural and strategic relations between India and Israel. He conveyed a message of friendship, respect and partnership from the 1.4 billion Indian people.
The Prime Minister said that nine years ago, he was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel and he is very happy to be here again. He interestingly said that he was born on September 17, 1950, which is the same day when India officially recognized Israel.
Modi, while expressing condolences to Israel over the loss of lives in the October 7 attack, strongly condemned terrorism and said that the killing of civilians for any purpose is unacceptable. He called for global cooperation against terrorism and reiterated his support for the Gaza peace initiative.
He mentioned the two thousand years of historical ties between the two countries, the role of the Jewish community in India and the shared history on various occasions. The Prime Minister said that India and Israel are ancient civilizations as well as modern democracies, and the strategic partnership between the two is growing rapidly in the areas of trade, defense, agriculture and technology.
Concluding his address, he said that the friendship between India and Israel will be a source of stability and prosperity in uncertain global conditions.
