Friends from the Media, I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Sara Netanyahu for opening their home to me today. I am most grateful for their warm and generous hospitality.
Friends,
Just a short while back, I laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum to remember and honour over six million Jewish lives that were lost in the horror of the holocaust. Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago. It is also a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation. Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilized values must come together and defend it at all costs. As such, we must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that plague our time.
Friends,
The link between our people goes back to thousands of years when the first Jews landed on India’s south-western coastline. Since then, the Jews have flourished, and their traditions and practices thrived in India. We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt. General J.F.R. Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, Master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society. Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history. My visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both our nations. And, I am happy that I will have occasion to engage with the rich Indian diaspora in Israel later tomorrow.
Friends,
In modern times, our ties have seen rapid growth since the establishment of our full diplomatic relations a quarter century ago. Common objectives of economic prosperity, strong technology and innovation ties and the need to secure our societies define the space for convergent action between us. Over coming decades, we want to frame a relationship that transforms the landscape of our economic engagement. India is the world’s fastest growing large economy. Our focus on using technology and innovation to meet our development priorities provides productive scope to expand our academic, scientific & research, and business links. We also want to put in place a robust security partnership to respond to shared threats to our peace, stability and prosperity. I will work with Prime Minister Netenyahu to craft and build a clear action agenda to realise these objectives. Once again, let me express my sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Netanyahu for their warm welcome.
