Israeli ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, on Monday remembered Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ex-Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu's famous beach picture. Speaking to the news agency ANI, Gilon said that the picture will be an epitome of "how things are done”.
The picture is from 2017 when PM Modi visited Israel at the invitation of the former Israel PM. The two leaders can be seen standing and facing each other at a beach - what can be called as a ‘candid’ picture. This visit broke the ice between the two nations, said the Israeli Ambassador to India.
"The famous picture of PM Modi with ex-Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Olga beach is one of the pictures that will stay as a symbol of how things are done. The friendship they developed continued with other PMs also," Gilon told ANI.
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Ambassador Gilon added, “We have to say that there were visits before that of Indian President and Israeli President, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but the visit of PM Modi and a few months later in 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to India on January 18 - this was a game changer to relations between the two countries.”
{{/usCountry}}Ambassador Gilon added, “We have to say that there were visits before that of Indian President and Israeli President, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but the visit of PM Modi and a few months later in 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to India on January 18 - this was a game changer to relations between the two countries.”
{{/usCountry}}India had established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. “The relations started a little bit slower than hoped, but the big change in 1992 established full diplomatic relations between the two countries,” the ambassador told ANI.
The Israeli envoy further explained how both the countries upgraded relations to a strategic partnership that led to several doors opening up for cooperation.
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"Thanks to that change, push that was done - we call it de-hyphenation -- in a way India came and said- we have Palestinian issue and Pakistan, we have other issues - Israel will be dealt as Israel, the interest we have with Israel, not the interest we have with Palestine, we will deal with them or issues of Pakistan, other issues. I think this is a very healthy approach which enables a strong relationship between the two countries," he said.
India and Israel have had an extensive and comprehensive economic, military, and political relationship.
(With inputs from ANI)