Sipu Jha
NEW DELHI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday shared a video of himself wearing traditional Indian attire ahead of a joint dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it a surprise gesture for his “friend”.“Before our joint dinner, I surprised my friend Prime Minister Modi by wearing traditional Indian attire,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.The gesture came during Modi’s visit to Israel, where the Prime Minister addressed a Special Plenary session of the Knesset, becoming the first Indian prime minister to address the Israeli parliament.At the Knesset, Netanyahu described PM Modi as a friend and praised India’s support for Israel after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.“Prime ministers and heads of state come to the Knesset and it’s always an exciting moment for all of us. But my dear friend Narendra, I’m especially moved by your visit. You are a great friend of Israel and a great leader at the world stage….Narendra, you are more than a friend. You are a brother,” Netanyahu said.Recalling Modi’s visit to Israel in 2017, he said, “We took off our shoes, and waded in the ocean. We didn’t walk on water but have done miracles,” referring to the widely shared image of the two leaders walking barefoot along the Mediterranean coast.Highlighting India’s support after the Hamas attack, Netanyahu said PM Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the violence.“Right after the horrific attack on October 7, you supported Israel so morally. You didn’t flinch or waver, you stood by Israel and stood by the Jews. Thank you,” he said.“Today at the airport we embraced each other. It’s called a Modi hug. I want to return a hug here from every Knesset member. It represents the warmth between us,” he added.PM Modi, in his address, thanked the Knesset for the honour and dedicated the Speaker of the Knesset Medal to the enduring friendship between the two countries. He highlighted civilisational links and expanding cooperation in areas such as innovation, agriculture, water management and security.The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and offered condolences for the victims of the October 7 attacks, saying there can be no justification for such brutality.
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