Jerusalem – Modi Addresses Thousands Of Indians In Israel At Mass Tel Aviv Rally

Tel Aviv – Thousands of Indians from across Israel attended an event at the Tel Aviv Convention Center for the Indian Diaspora community as part of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.

Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were due to address the audience, who were entertained by colorful performances of dance and music as they awaited the arrival of the two leaders.

Dancers waved Indian and Israelis flags and the audience was in high spirits, frequently cheering and chanting “Israel” and “India.”

The crowd comprised Indians of all ages and of various background – some members of the Indian Jewish community who have made aliya and others who have come to Israel for employment opportunities. They have origins in various parts of India and while some have been in Israel for generations, others are relatively new in the country, but even for those who have never actually lived in India it was important for them to show their support and steadfast connection to the country.

“The Jews are respected in India – we are like family,” Dan Rachel of Haifa told The Jerusalem Post. She moved to Israel from Mumbai 50 years ago as is a member of the Bnei Israel community.

“Modi is showing respect to the Indians and to Israel,” she said referencing the fact that he is the first Indian prime minister ever to visit Israel, after previous prime minister snubbed a connection with the Jewish state.

“He is a true man – and that’s why I am here,” she enthused.

“This is very exciting,” agreed Tzipi Dahan who moved to the Jerusalem area from Cochin in 1956. She notes that her father was active in encouraging aliya, and that she feels very Israeli, yet Modi’s visit to Israel has brought out her connection to her Indian side. She hasn’t been back to India since she left at the age of 6, but is keen to return for a visit now.

Joseph Moses is a Brit of Indian origin who immigrated to Israel two years ago. He says has always been in touch with his cultural identity which he describes as an important part of his life. “This is a strong message. of deepening ties which is exciting,” he tells the Post.

Yifa Yaakov, a researcher of Indian Jews from Tel Aviv, described the event as “particularly significant for a community which had to choose between India and Israel at the time of aliya.”

“I would say the Indian Diaspora has been given the opportunity tonight to be part of the Indian nation,” said Yaakov. “They are embracing that loudly and enthusiastically, with open arms.”

With an estimated 31 million India-born people living abroad either temporarily or permanently, Modi views the Indian Diaspora as a significant and valuable diplomatic asset.

This is why he makes it a point to hold large, often times rock-concert like events with people of Indian origin when he travels abroad. He has done this on his travels to the United States, where in 2014 he attracted 19,000 people to Madison Square Garden in New York; to Britain; Australia; the United Arab Emirates; and just last week during a trip to the Netherlands, where he stopped on his way home from visiting the US and Portugal.

Modi is keeping this practice alive in Israel this week during the first-ever visit of an Indian prime minister.

Israel, obviously, cannot compete with countries like the US, which has an estimated 4.5 million Indian-born people living there; or Saudi Arabia, with 4.1 million; the United Arab Emirates with 3.8 million; or the United Kingdom, with 1.8 million. Still, with an estimated 80,000- 85,0000 non-resident Indians or persons of Indian origin, Israel is in the list of top 35 countries around the world with a significant Indian Diaspora.

“One thing our prime minister likes to do is connect with Indians overseas, not just Indian nationals, but people of Indian origin,” India’s ambassador to Israel, Pavan Kapoor, told The Jerusalem Post in a recent interview.

Modi’s logic in holding these events, he said, “is that as part of his travels, he wants to connect with everyone, and there are people who obviously retain some connection with India. He wants to reach out to them and say thank you for their contribution, for the ways they are helping build relationships with other countries. He always sees these people as friends for our country.”

Modi said as much last week when he met an arena full of Indians at a sports center in The Hague, where thousands of people chanted “Modi, Modi,” when he entered.

“The embassy staff, the officials they are called ‘Rajdoots,’” Modi told the crowd, representatives of the second- largest Indian population in Europe, after Britain.

“But you, the Diaspora, are the ‘Rashtradoots.’ Indians in Europe must be connected. Every citizen is India’s ambassador.”

According to Kapoor, Modi sees Indians abroad as bridges between the countries where they are living and the country of their birth, and he would like to use the Israelis of Indian descent in a similar capacity.

Kapoor divided people of Indian origin in Israel into five different categories: the Cochin Jews; the Bene Israel; the Baghdadi Jews of Bombay and Calcutta; and the Bnei Menashe. In addition, there are about 10,000 Indians working or studying in Israel in various capacities, with 9,000 of them working in the care-giving sector.

While acknowledging that Indians in Israel are not as tied to India as are those in Britain or the US, he did say many of them are very culturally connected to the country of their birth and appreciate the Indo-Israel relationship.

The embassy organized the Wednesday evening event, and made buses available to transport people from all over the country – from Beersheba in the South to Haifa in the North – and from the large concentrations of the community in cities such as Ashdod and Jerusalem.