After his visit to inaugurate the Living Memorial at the Jewish Centre at Nariman House in Colaba, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met members of Mumbai’s Jewish community at a hotel.
Interacting with the guests, Netanyahu told the delegates he wanted them to tell the community that he loved them.
Community members said the time had finally come for the two countries to work together and take the relationship forward.
A guest, who attended the interaction, said they sought Netanyahu’s help in starting an Air India flight between Mumbai and Tel Aviv, as this will help tourists as well community members from Mumbai. Members of Thane’s Jewish community — the largest in the country — told the Israeli Prime Minister that they have started a programme for their youth to familiarise them with Israel.
Jewish leaders from different parts of the city told Netanyahu about their efforts to get minority status across all states.
Solomon Sopher, head of the Jacob Sassoon Trust and in charge of three synagogues in Mumbai and Pune, said the leaders who met the PM wanted him to interact with the community, rather than have a small meeting with limited people. “We requested the PM to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so that Jews, whatever their population may be, could get minority status across the country, and not only in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” Sopher said.
The community also launched the Namaste Shalom magazine at Byculla’s Magen David synagogue and presented a copy to Netanyahu. “Through this magazine, we are trying to push the start-up culture in India, and for that we want skills of entrepreneurs from Israel to be used. Also, Tel Aviv is famous for its cyber security knowledge. We want the youth in our country to learn about it,” said Tarun Vijay, chief editor, Namaste Shalom.
Photo: Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi in New York, May 28, 2014. (IsraeliPM/Flickr)