Just ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first official visit to India, the country’s envoy on Friday downplayed India’s recent vote at the UN.
Contrary to abstention expectations, India had chosen to vote in favour of a resolution asking United States to withdraw its decision of shifting its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Ambassador Daniel Carmon today said the issue would not mar relations or the visit.
“It is being talked about in diplomatic channels between our countries. We always want all international community to vote with us. Of course we are not happy when some do not,” said Carmon.
Carmon, however, reminded that both India and Israel request each other for favours at the UN, citing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) elections as example. “When India came to Israel on Justice Dalveer Bhandari issue, Israel was among five countries that adopted him as their own candidate. So the Israeli candidate was an Indian judge. The UN is a vibrant dynamic theatre where many things are happening. Jerusalem vote can not influence relations with India,” stressed the envoy.
Since the visit of Ariel Sharon in 2003, it is the first visit of an Israeli PM to India.
Along with a 130-member strong business delegation, Netanyahu will be accompanied by a 11-year-old boy, Moshe Holtzberg — face of the Mumbai attacks in 2008 — who as a toddler lost both his parents in the terror strikes.
Moshe will participate in a ceremony at one of the sites of the attack — the Chabad House.
“His (Moshe) coming here and being invited to join the prime minister shows one more thing that unifies both countries and people.
“26/11 was terrible attack against India, against Mumbai, and also against Jews and Israelis .We know it unites us not just as victims of terrorism but deciding to unite our forces and efforts to fight against terrorism that is the plague of this era,” said Carmon.
On reports of India spiking Israeli Spike anti-tank guided weapons deal and if it would be revived, Carmon hoped that “if there is a problem it would be solved”.
“Spike project is an example of Israel engaging in Make in India because Spike can be implemented through a partnership between Israeli and Indian companies,” he added.
Asked if Indo-Israel ties could be impacted if Netanyahu government, which is currently being probed for serious corruption charges in Israel, is derailed, the ambassador dismissed it calling it an “all-weather relationship”.
