PM Netanyahu and Indian PM Modi Attend Special Event with Thousands of
Members of the Indian Community in Israel
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
this evening (Wednesday, 5 July 2017), in Tel Aviv, attended a special event
with thousands of members of the Indian community in Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"Prime Minister, these are the Jews of India. They love India, they love
Israel. They love our friendship.

We are in a historic meeting, your visit, of two ancient peoples seizing the
future.

There was a time, a few decades ago and a few years ago, when this natural
partnership was somehow frozen.

There was a young woman, her name was Tzipora Meir, a young Jewish woman in
Cochin. She wrote an essay 50 years ago, just before the Six Day War, and
the essay was the deep desire she had to see the partnership between India
and Israel.

She won a prize for that composition but it didn't happen. Tzipora Meir,
like so many of you, came to Israel, built her home here, contributed to her
life, maintained the love of Indian Jewish customs, prayers and continued to
hope that one day Israel and India will form this partnership and this
friendship.


Tzipora and her husband Sasson, who are here - that day has come. That day
is today.

Prime Minister Modi and I have decided on a vast program to bring our
partnership and our friendship to new heights. But we always remember that
there's a human bridge between us - you. We admire you, we respect you, we
love you.

Seventy years ago, our countries achieved independence. Israel achieved
independence, India achieved independence and our countries rise and rise
and rise and rise and now they meet.

We have decided to cooperate in so many areas but there's one area that
really guarantees the future, and Prime Minister Modi speaks of it all the
time – it's the young people: the young people of India, the young people of
Israel.

So, Indian students are coming here, we're very flattered. Israeli young
people are going there but there is something that we want to achieve: today
when Israelis go to India, they go backpacking, they go on what is called,
the 'Hummus Trail', there are signs in Hebrew, you hear Hebrew spoken, 'The
Hummus Trail'. I want to see young Indians come here backpacking on the
'Curry Trail'.

I don’t want many, just an equal proportion.

We are building this future today between us, between our two great
democracies, between our two ancient peoples, who believe in the future.
It's a partnership made in heaven but it's happening right now here on earth
today.

Welcome Prime Minister Modi, my dear friend. Welcome to Israel."