Israel's Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Friday called India one of Israel's closest and dearest friends. He called it a distinct pleasure to have been invited to India. Knesset Speaker made the statement during a meeting with Parliament Speaker Om Birla.

"It is a great honour for me to be here with you today. This is indeed not only my first visit to India but also the first visit of any speaker of the Knesset on an official visit to India. And it is my distinct pleasure to have been invited specifically to India, one of Israel's closest and dearest friends and the world's largest democracy," Amir Ohana said.

"When I had to decide where to make my first official visit as speaker of the Knesset, India stood up with all the other countries. We saw it not only as a dear friend but also as a rising power in the world in many, many fields," he added.

He said, "Our countries are marking 31 years of full diplomatic relations. What started as ties between two ancient civilizations with rich histories and tremendous respect for our traditions, is now a friendship based on common interests in almost every aspect of life. We also share a deep historical connection."

Stating that the menace of terrorism is a common concern, Ohana, a former Shin Bet (Israeli internal security agency) official, told news agency PTI that the fight to counter it requires all the progressive countries to come together. Both India and Israel face the problem of terrorism, and the fight against it is a joint one, Ohana said.

Referring to the Jews community living in India, Amir Ohana said, "Jews have lived peacefully in India for thousands of years, and those Jews who came to Israel from India served as a solid bridge between our two nations. It is actually one of the only nations on earth where Jews could live peacefully for thousands of years without any recognition of antisemitism, which is an unknown term in this country and we are thankful for that."

"We all remember the abominable terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which over 207 people were murdered, of which 178 were Indians. Among the foreigners who were murdered were unfortunately also Israelis and Jews who came to the Chabad house," Ohana pointed out.

"It was an attack not only on India but also on Jews and free people everywhere," the Knesset Speaker said, adding that it was an attack on the shared values of India and Israel. "Whoever planned and sent the terrorists from the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba should pay a heavy price for it", he said.

Birla underscored that India and Israel share a robust democratic heritage and as fellow democracies, both countries have many similarities, which include respecting diverse cultures, following democratic values, and working as per the hopes and aspirations of the people.

He also observed that in the changing global dynamics, the relations between India and Israel have become more important.

While speaking about the strong parliamentary relations between the two Parliaments, the Lok Sabha Speaker expressed happiness at the formation of a Parliamentary Friendship Group for India in the Knesset.

Birla emphasized that both Parliaments should work together at international fora and accordingly prepare an action plan based on collective discussion and dialogue.

In the context of the technological dominance of India and Israel in different scientific fields, Birla said that Israel is a world leader in agri-technology. He mentioned that people from around the world seek to emulate the technological progress that Israel has made.

Birla said through mutual collaboration both nations can learn from each other and reap the benefits of technological progress.

Image courtesy: ANI