Indians in Israel pledge strong political and cultural ties

Four thousand Indians have celebrated ‘Hoduyada’, the gathering of Indians, in this southern coastal town, pledging to strengthen political and cultural ties with India.

“We call upon Indians in Israel to grab the opportunity to connect themselves to their motherland that we all love through the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme”, Noah Massil, President of Central Organisation of Indian Jews in Israel (COIJII), said.

“We have always taken pride in our Indian origin. We never faced any discrimination, the sort of anti-semitism in Europe, during our days of exile and have brought the message of peaceful co-existence with us,” Massil added.

COIJII has planned week long cultural activities in August to celebrate 15 years of diplomatic relations with Israel, he said.

“You are a very important link between India and Israel. While contributing and integrating with the Israeli society you have continued to maintain the Indian tradition”, India’s Ambassador to Israel, Arun Kumar Singh, told the community.

Singh also informed the community about a series of academic programmes the Indian government has introduced for the diaspora’s youth.

The beach on the Red sea coast was transformed into a ‘mini-Chowpatty’ as Indian music reverberated in the air during this three day programme with stalls of ‘bhelpuri’, ‘papri chaat’ and other snacks.