Marking 78 years since Israel was founded, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said that India and Israel share a special and strong relationship based on six common values; strong cultural roots, democracy, cooperation against terrorism, innovation, tolerance, and inclusive growth.
He made the remarks in a video message which was shared on X.
Describing the six pillars of partnership between the two countries, he said, “The first is the civilizational resilience and national revival. For centuries, our civilisations were attacked by foreign powers, our identity was targeted, and throughout history, there was an effort to strip us of our identity. But despite the ordeal that we had to pass in more than a millennium, we survived, our identity survived. This is what we have in common”.
He noted that the second pillar is the fight against terrorism.
“We are facing a wave of extremism around the world, especially coming from radical Islam that is threatening our country, is threatening the existence of our country. We have worked together for decades now to develop the means that we need to cope with that threat”, the envoy said.
He highlighted how the third pillar is the shared democratic values that exist strongly within the systems of both countries.
Ambassador Azar noted innovation and competitiveness as the fourth pillar and underlined that Israel and India have been a source of innovation.
“Together we are working in order to make a more competitive environment that will allow us to become stronger and more prosperous”.
Noting the fifth pillar as tolerance and spiritual heritage, he lauded how Jews have felt very comfortable in India for millennia and that there was never anti-Semitism in India.
Calling sustained but inclusive development the final pillar, the Israeli envoy highlighted how inclusion and accessibility are integral values focused upon by both countries.
He said that the six pillars make the relationship special because it denotes common values and interests. (ANI)
(Inputs from ANI)
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