'Wake up, the most important PM of world is coming' - Israeli Daily's description of Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit
Jerusalem: "Wake up - the most important PM of the world is coming", is how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian PM, is described in an article in one of the leading Israeli business daily.
Business daily 'The Marker' in a feature story in its Hebrew edition discussing Indo-Israel ties says that Israelis had set up huge expectations from US President Donald Trump's visit to the Jewish state but "he didn't say much" while PM Modi, a leader of 1.25 billion people enjoying massive popularity and representing one of the fastest growing economies of the world deserves a lot of attention.
Other local newspapers and news portals have also given a lot of attention to the much-publicised three day trip of PM Modi with The Jerusalem Post even creating a separate link, "Modi's Visit", where it has put up stories related to India.
Most of the local commentators have emphasised on Modi "skipping Ramallah" and it being a standalone visit focussing only on India's ties with Israel.
"Unlike most world leaders, however, Modi, who governs the world's largest democracy and second largest nation, apparently is refusing to visit Ramallah during his Israel trip, and will not schedule meetings with Palestinian Authority (PA) chief Mahmoud Abbas or other PA leaders", Arutz Sheva said in a report.
PM Modi met Abbas during the PA leader's trip to India in May, and senior Indian officials have visited Abbas at his Ramallah residence during their trips to Israel, it added.
India related activities in Israel have also attracted far more attention in view of PM Modi's visit than ever before.
International Yoga Day celebrations in Israel saw massive coverage by the Israeli media with some commentators talking about the "soft diplomatic power it arms New Delhi with".
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed his Indian counterpart's visit to Israel last Sunday during his opening remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".
"Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel. This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength," Netanyahu stressed.
"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," he added.
India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli Premier said.
PM Modi's three day visit starting July 4 is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Indian PM is scheduled to have dinner with Netanyahu following his arrival to Israel on July 4. He would be meeting the Israeli Premier again for discussions the following day.
PM Modi would also call upon Israel's President Reuven Rivlin on July 5 and the leader of opposition, Isaac Herzog. Around 4,000 people of Indian origin would be attending an address by Modi in the evening of July 5 in Tel Aviv. The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved major decisions to deepen Indo-Israel ties.
Among the measures proposed include the establishment of a USD 40 million joint fund to encourage Israeli and Indian business cooperation, agreements permitting and extending incentives to Bollywood filmmakers looking to shoot in Israel, efforts to promote growth in tourism, and a joint government project in the fields of water and agriculture.
Netanyahu and PM Modi have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.
The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions.
It is believed that PM Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.
Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.
All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during PM Modi's visit.
In 2014 the Jerusalem Post covered Modi's election victory in detail and also pointed out the hypocrisy of some of the world media preceding Modi's victory.
Terra Incognita: Why Modi matters
Seth J. Frantzman The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com | 2014-05-18T21:57Z
As it became clear that Narendra Modi of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was going to win big in India’s massive national elections commentators began to read the tea leaves. Some looked to Israel. “Israel’s best friend in South Asia,” Palash Ghosh at International Business Times declared.
Noting that the countries only established relations in 1991, he argued that the BJP had been an architect of warmer Israel ties in the early 2000s and pointed to Israeli business relationships that Modi had cultivated in Gujarat, where he was state governor since 2001. But outside of the realm of practical economic and political ties, the real reason Modi matters, in terms of Israel and other countries, are shared affinities for preserving uniqueness in a globalized multi-cultural world. Both India and Israel are nation states emphasizing a national and ancient religion.
The BJP and Modi are often derided in the media as “hardline.” The BBC, for instance, claimed that “the Hindu hardline party’s poster boy is often called the BJP’s brightest star.” The party is described as “Hindu nationalist” and “right wing.” This is in order to separate it from the party the media, in India and abroad, has adored; the Congress party that has been run by the Nehru-Gandhi (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi) family since independence.
In essence this royal dynasty of Nehru Gandhi (prime minister 1947-64), his daughter Indira Gandhi (prime minister 1966-77, 1980-84), her son Rajiv Gandhi (prime minister 1984-87), his Italian wife Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi have sought to turn India into a personal fiefdom.
Indira Gandhi was not averse to using all the powers of the state to enforce her rule through a “state of emergency” declared from 1975-77 in which India basically became a one-party dictatorship; tossing opposition politicians into prison through “administrative detention.” During that time the government rolled out a “family planning” sterilization program that affected millions and was criticized as semi-compulsory for how it targeted the poor.
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