Jerusalem, Jan 28 (PTI) Emphasising that “friendship and trust” are not only positive traits but also “real assets”, the foreign ministers of India and Israel in an op-ed joint for an Israeli daily on Friday have said the two countries have worked together to “deepen their roots” for the last three decades, delving together to find solutions to common challenges, including in the security sector.
External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid contributed a joint piece, “Deepening Roots” for Israel Hayom to mark 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Though India had recognised Israel on September 17, 1950, full-fledged diplomatic relations between the countries were established on January 29, 1992.
Bringing out strong similarities between the cultures of the two countries, the piece points out how great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata in the Indian case and the Bible and the Talmud in the Israeli case are historical scriptures that not only tell the story of their people but also morals that guide general life.
“When relations between the two countries were established exactly 30 years ago, both sides had curiosity, but also a sense of familiarity. We are two ancient civilisations. We are also two energetic young democracies driven by openness towards innovation and the ability to communicate with other cultures”, according to Jaishankar and Lapid.
“Some 4,000 km separates India from Israel as we mark three decades of the establishment of (diplomatic) ties between us this year. From agriculture and water to innovation and security, the countries share knowledge, projects and vision, and in recent months they have also shared a unique diplomatic dialogue with the US and the Gulf states”, the two ministers point out.
“The ancient history of our people gives us perspective. We know that friendship and trust are not only positive traits but also real assets”, they asserted.
Mentioning the fact that Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion hung a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in his bedroom, the two leaders write that the two visionaries had shared beliefs.
“For the past 30 years, we have followed in their footsteps, understood the essence of Gandhi’s thoughts and Ben-Gurion’s vision, and discovered that together we can do more. Our collaborations today span a variety of areas of life – agriculture, security, economics and innovation”, they added.
In a sub-section highlighting sharing of operational knowledge, the two foreign ministers describe agriculture as one of the mainstays of bilateral cooperation.
“Israel’s desert character-led it to develop innovative solutions in agriculture and water. India’s population size presents daily challenges that the world can’t imagine. our agricultural cooperation is unprecedented. Together we operate 30 Indo-Israeli centres of excellence throughout India,” they note.
“Companies doing business are engaged in diversifying crops, solar energy, productivity and water utilisation. This collaboration yields millions of quality vegetable and fruit seedlings every year and provides training for millions of Indian farmers with the latest agricultural technologies. In the field of water, Israel and India cooperate from technologies and knowledge to joint projects”, they add.
“The drip”, the Israeli drip irrigation technology, for example, has been in India for almost 30 years, since 1993, they wrote.
On the much-publicised cooperation between the two countries in the defence sector, the foreign ministers acknowledge “sharing of operational knowledge”, delving together to find solutions to the challenges in the security sector and working together on counter-terrorism.
“The 2008 Mumbai cross-border terror attack is a reminder of our common threats, and such events must not be repeated”, they stress.
The op-ed also points out the participation of the two countries in the Blue Flag aerial exercise last October, when Jaishankar also visited the Indian contingent in the Negev.
“And of course cooperation in trade and commerce. India is one of Israel’s most important economic partners. The industrial capabilities and technological education of India’s young people, combined with Israel’s unique technological capabilities create huge potential for mutual prosperity,” they write.
“Over the years, we have witnessed a significant increase in trade relations. Israeli start-ups and entrepreneurs, large Indian companies, programmers and IT professionals become natural partners. Israel is the original start-up nation, while India has the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world. This is precisely why we have established a fund for technological innovation focused on water, agriculture, health, energy and ICT,” the two ministers note.
Touching upon the “peace and normalisation” process going ahead in the region, the two leaders point out strategic changes in the Middle east that can bear economic gains. They also mention the ease of travel post-Abraham accords when there were weekly flights between Tel Aviv and New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and Goa leading up to the pandemic.
The ripples of change also reached India with more business cooperation, and the highlight – the quad of US, Israel, India and UAE for joint economic projects, the article points out.
The two ministers mention the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Glasgow and their own meeting in Israel stressing their commitment to accelerate negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) and to work together in significant areas such as quantum computing.
The establishment of the “India trail” in Israel, commemorating the sacrifices of Indian soldiers in World War I and the creation of the “Jews of Mumbai” trail, to highlight the community’s contribution to that city, also finds a mention in the article.
The Indian Jewish community contributed to the nation’s construction, including David Sassoon, who helped found the Bank of India, General Jack Raphael Jacob, hero of the Bangladesh liberation war, Physician Dr Jarusha Girade and Poet Nissim Ezekiel. Members of India’s Jewish community made an important contribution to Israel’s development, including agriculturist Eliyahu Bezalel and Prof. Lael Anson Best, a leading surgeon, the article said.
Concluding with hopes that the “deepening roots” will continue to bear fruit, the FMs quote Nobel laureates Rabindranath Tagore’s “When a man loves, giving becomes a thing of the season” and Israeli poet S.Y.Agnon’s Torah inspired “Man is a tree of the field.” PTI HM AMS AKJ AMS
