We believe in India as much as you believe in Israel” Says Benjamin Netanyahu
NEW DELHI : “The alliance of democracies is important to secure our common future, I believe possibilities are endless,” Mr Netanyahu said, adding what he called the “lessons of Jewish history”. “The weak don’t survive. You make alliance with the strong,” said the Israeli leader, who is on a six-day visit to India.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday Inaugurating the third edition of the geo-political conference, ‘Raisina Dialogue’, in the national capital, he said, “The weak don’t survive, the strong survive, you make alliances with the strong, you are able to maintain peace by being strong. So, therefore the first requirement from our the time of our first PM was to achieve minimal strength required to assure existence.”
He added, “I was astounded to know that PM Modi has moved India in the scale of ease of doing business 42 places in three years. If you want to be an economic power, you must reduce and simplify taxes and must cut bureaucracy. The main job of both India and Israel is to cut this bureaucracy so the firms can go on with their business of doing business.”
“We’ve achieved a transition to a more liberal economy and we are committed to this path. The future belongs to those who innovate. We are doing it and India is doing it,” the Israeli PM further said.
“I believe the secret to Israel and India’s successes are the same thing, a combination of traditional values and innovation. What also binds us together, is the most important of all, that we have a special relationship with a commitment to democracy,” he said.
Directing his remarks at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Benjamin Netanyahu — the second Israeli leader to visit India since Ariel Sharon in 2003 — said, “You were the first leader to come to Israel in 3,000 years. We believe in India as much as you believe in Israel”. The two nations, he said, discussed “how we can strengthen our two nations in civilian, security and in every area,” the 68-year-old leader added.
Tomorrow, Mr Netanyahu, accompanied by PM Modi, will visit Gujarat, where they are expected to hold a roadshow on way to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Sabarmati. Later they will inaugurate the iCreate Center at Deo Dholera Village in Ahmedabad and visit a Startup Exhibition.
On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu will visit Mumbai, where he will open a memorial for 26/11 terror attack victims at Chabad House. Eleven-year-old Moshe Holtzman, who lost his parents, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, in the attack, is already in Mumbai to attend the event.
Later, Mr Netanyahu will meet some of the actors and directors from the city’s thriving film industry. Bollywood films are hugely popular in Israel. The two nations have signed a deal on co-production of films.
On Indo-Israel ties, Netanyahu said, “The alliance of democracies is important to secure our common future, I believe possibilities are endless. In this visit, we have discussed how we can strengthen our two nations in civilian, security and in every area.
‘Raisina Dialogue’ is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation (ORF). The theme of the dialogue this year is ‘Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms’.
Earlier, on Monday, speaking at India-Israel Business Summit Netanyahu had stressed on the importance of technology in sectors like agriculture and water management. He had also talked about increasing cooperation in the health sector as well as startups.
In pics: Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, wife visit Taj Mahal, pose for shutterbugs. Both leaders had launched the maiden call for joint R&D projects under the ‘India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)’.
The ‘I4Fund Call for Proposal’ was announced with the joint launch of the website and the unveiling of the brochure by the two Prime Ministers.India and Israel will make a contribution of USD 4 million each for the Fund annually, for five years.
(With Agency inputs)
