Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the latter not only his friend but more of a brother. He thanked India for their years-long friendship, saying it is the only citvilisation where Jews were welcomed and not persecuted. In a light-hearted moment, Netanyahu also spoke about PM Modi’s hug, which he said is known as the ‘Modi hug’ across the globe.
“A great leader on the world stage. Welcome to Jerusalem, my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and your distinguished delegation. Now, I said, Narendra, my dear friend, these are not just words. I would almost venture to say, more than a friend, a brother,” he said in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, with PM Modi smiling beside him.
Netanyahu, who along with his wife Sara, welcomed PM Modi at the Ben Gurien Airport earlier in the day, said he has “never been more moved” by the latter’s visit to the Jewish nation. “A great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Indian-Israeli alliance, a great leader on the world stage,” the Israeli PM said.
The 76-year-old recalled the 2017 visit by PM Modi, and said that since then, the two countries have “performed miracles”. “I would almost venture to say, more than a friend, a brother. Now, when you were last here, we, the two of us, were on the Mediterranean coast, and I said, why don’t we take off our shoes and go into the water?… We didn’t walk on water, but we did perform miracles since then. Because what we have done is we’ve doubled our trade, tripled our cooperation, quadrupled our understanding,” Netanyahu said.
PM Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in 2017. With the latest visit, he has become the first Indian PM to address the Knesset. Earlier, he visited the Jewish nation in 2006 as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Netanyahu also praised PM Modi’s warm embrace, saying it’s well-known across the world as the ‘Modi hug’.
“It’s been a wondrous friendship, both personally between the two of us and between our two countries and our peoples. Earlier today, my wife Sara and I greeted you at the airport. And just as you came down the steps, we embraced each other. Prime Minister Modi’s personal embrace is something special. It’s called the Modi hug. It’s well known around the world. And when you hug someone, closely, truly, you know it’s not an act. It’s a real thing. It’s called the Modi hug. So I want to return the hug here to every single one of the Knesset members, and it’s not only an indication of the personal relations, of the personal friendship between us, but it really reflects the warmth of the ties between our two peoples,” the Israeli PM said.
Talking about deep-rooted connections between India and Jews, Netanyahu said that, in a modern world where anti-semitism continues to rise, India stands out. “A civilisation (Indian civilisation) where Jews were never persecuted by the state, only welcomed. We don’t forget that, too. Thank you, India.”
PM Modi received a standing ovation in Knesset and was welcomed by reverberating ‘Modi’ chants. During his speech, he also highlighted India’s ties with Israel, while cementing New Delhi’s support for Tel Aviv. The Prime Minister also said that he backs the Gaza Peace Initiative, stressing that no cause can justify terrorism.
