News Analysis India

Tag: Israel

  • Jamie Lee Curtis removes post supporting Israel following backlash

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis has quietly responded to backlash over her post which saw her showing support for Israel following the Hamas attack.

    The actress has deleted the controversial post as it’s no longer on her Instagram page, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    In the Saturday post, Jamie shared a picture of several children looking terrified while staring missiles in the sky.

    “Terror from the skies,” the ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ actress wrote alongside an Israel flag.

    The actress also tagged Samar Abu Elouf, the photographer behind the image.

    Samar, however, clarified that the picture actually featured Palestinian children in Gaza.

    They were running from bombs being counter-launched by Israel.

    “Palestinian families seek refuge with their children from the northern Gaza Trip to UNRWA schools inside Gaza City. Children are afraid of the sound of bombing who hear it during their presence due to events on the Strip’s borders,” the photographer wrote on her own Instagram page.

    It didn’t take long for Internet users to slam Jamie as she used the wrong picture to show solidarity to Israel.

    “Just to clarify, this picture is from Gaza. The children looking up at the rockets are Palestinian,” an Instagram user wrote in the comments section.

    “That’s Arabic in the back there, look at the store signs. If that was in Israel, it would be Hebrew,” someone else pointed out. “In fact, this is a picture from Gaza! The children are Palestinian children from Gaza and they are under Israeli terror and heavy airstrike!”

    “Girl, wtf is the message here? You have a photo of Palestinian children taken by a Gaza-based Muslim photojournalist with an Israeli flag in the incredibly manipulative caption,” someone else fumed.

    A user on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “Jamie Lee Curtis posting a pic from Gaza and thinking it’s from Israel is kinda funny ngl.”

    “Jamie Lee Curtis reposting a picture of Palestinian children in Gaza and captioning it with the Israeli flag is some serious shameless lying. When you support Israel, you need to lie in order to make your case,” another tweeted. “Jamie Lee Curtis posted the picture to get sympathy for Israel when it’s literally Palestinian kids… you can’t make this up…,” another tweet read.

    Jamie wasn’t the only celebrity who was under fire after showing support for Israel.

    Kylie Jenner landed in hot water as she was called by online users for sharing a pro-Israel post even though her best friends, including Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, have been advocating for Palestine for years.

    Beginning on Saturday, the militant group Hamas launched thousands of rockets from Gaza in a surprise ambush.

    Since the ongoing conflict, more than 1,100 people have been killed from both sides and over 2,300 people have been injured, according to the media.

    LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis has quietly responded to backlash over her post which saw her showing support for Israel following the Hamas attack.

    The actress has deleted the controversial post as it’s no longer on her Instagram page, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    In the Saturday post, Jamie shared a picture of several children looking terrified while staring missiles in the sky.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Terror from the skies,” the ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ actress wrote alongside an Israel flag.

    The actress also tagged Samar Abu Elouf, the photographer behind the image.

    Samar, however, clarified that the picture actually featured Palestinian children in Gaza.

    They were running from bombs being counter-launched by Israel.

    “Palestinian families seek refuge with their children from the northern Gaza Trip to UNRWA schools inside Gaza City. Children are afraid of the sound of bombing who hear it during their presence due to events on the Strip’s borders,” the photographer wrote on her own Instagram page.

    It didn’t take long for Internet users to slam Jamie as she used the wrong picture to show solidarity to Israel.

    “Just to clarify, this picture is from Gaza. The children looking up at the rockets are Palestinian,” an Instagram user wrote in the comments section.

    “That’s Arabic in the back there, look at the store signs. If that was in Israel, it would be Hebrew,” someone else pointed out. “In fact, this is a picture from Gaza! The children are Palestinian children from Gaza and they are under Israeli terror and heavy airstrike!”

    “Girl, wtf is the message here? You have a photo of Palestinian children taken by a Gaza-based Muslim photojournalist with an Israeli flag in the incredibly manipulative caption,” someone else fumed.

    A user on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “Jamie Lee Curtis posting a pic from Gaza and thinking it’s from Israel is kinda funny ngl.”

    “Jamie Lee Curtis reposting a picture of Palestinian children in Gaza and captioning it with the Israeli flag is some serious shameless lying. When you support Israel, you need to lie in order to make your case,” another tweeted. “Jamie Lee Curtis posted the picture to get sympathy for Israel when it’s literally Palestinian kids… you can’t make this up…,” another tweet read.

    Jamie wasn’t the only celebrity who was under fire after showing support for Israel.

    Kylie Jenner landed in hot water as she was called by online users for sharing a pro-Israel post even though her best friends, including Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, have been advocating for Palestine for years.

    Beginning on Saturday, the militant group Hamas launched thousands of rockets from Gaza in a surprise ambush.

    Since the ongoing conflict, more than 1,100 people have been killed from both sides and over 2,300 people have been injured, according to the media.

  • PMO monitoring situation, Indians in Israel safe

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  There have been no untoward incidents involving Indians living and working in Israel so far amid escalating tensions in the region. However, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv received requests from citizens stranded in the country to facilitate their safe exit.

    The requests have come from Indian tourists and businessmen. Meanwhile, Air India has cancelled all its flights to Tel Aviv till October 14. Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said that some volunteers from India had reached out to him for any assistance required in Israel. 

    Bollywood actress Nushrat Bharucha was in Israel when the war broke out. She had  gone there to attend the Haifa International Film Festival and was not reachable for a few hours. However, she could finally board a flight and return to Mumbai. She appeared visibly shaken when she landed but there are no further details on how she returned.

    Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi said the Prime Minister’s Office is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and is concerned about the safety of the Indians there, specially the students. “It is early to state when we will begin evacuation, but we could manage these tough exercises well,” a source said. 

    NEW DELHI:  There have been no untoward incidents involving Indians living and working in Israel so far amid escalating tensions in the region. However, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv received requests from citizens stranded in the country to facilitate their safe exit.

    The requests have come from Indian tourists and businessmen. Meanwhile, Air India has cancelled all its flights to Tel Aviv till October 14. Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said that some volunteers from India had reached out to him for any assistance required in Israel. 

    Bollywood actress Nushrat Bharucha was in Israel when the war broke out. She had  gone there to attend the Haifa International Film Festival and was not reachable for a few hours. However, she could finally board a flight and return to Mumbai. She appeared visibly shaken when she landed but there are no further details on how she returned.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi said the Prime Minister’s Office is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and is concerned about the safety of the Indians there, specially the students. “It is early to state when we will begin evacuation, but we could manage these tough exercises well,” a source said. 

  • India is influential country, knows challenge of terrorism: Israeli envoy on support amid Hamas attack

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As Israel reels under the massive attacks by Hamas militants, Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon on Sunday said his country will need very strong support from India as it is an influential country and knows the challenge of terrorism.

    Describing the attacks by Hamas militants as totally unprovoked and unacceptable, Gilon said Israel will deal with the challenge on its own and punish the perpetrators.

    The attacks by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday killed more than 600 Israelis and injured over 2,000.

    Palestinian officials said retaliatory attacks by Israel left around 200 people dead in the Gaza Strip.

    Talking to reporters, the Israeli envoy alleged that Iran has a hand in the attacks and suggested that the country supplied weapons to Hamas.

    “It’s clear to us that Iran is involved with it. We know for sure about supplying of weapons and training,” he alleged.

    Gilon said his country will need the very strong support of “our Indian friends” and that “India is a very influential country in the world, as a country that knows terrorism and understands the crisis.” “It will be very important for us, to give us the ability to do what we need to do in order to make sure that Hamas will not be able to continue doing atrocities,” he said.

    Gilon said India’s support to Israel at this time is based on a deep understanding of terrorism rather than ignorance.

    “We have received huge support from India,” he said.

    “We expect all countries in the world to, first and foremost, condemn the unprovoked murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli civilians, women, men, elderly, and children. This is unacceptable,” Gilon said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed solidarity with Israel following the strikes by Hamas.

    Modi condemned it as “terrorist attacks”.

    “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” Modi said.

    To a question, the Israeli envoy said there is no time for mediation and now is time to take action against terror.

    NEW DELHI: As Israel reels under the massive attacks by Hamas militants, Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon on Sunday said his country will need very strong support from India as it is an influential country and knows the challenge of terrorism.

    Describing the attacks by Hamas militants as totally unprovoked and unacceptable, Gilon said Israel will deal with the challenge on its own and punish the perpetrators.

    The attacks by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday killed more than 600 Israelis and injured over 2,000.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Palestinian officials said retaliatory attacks by Israel left around 200 people dead in the Gaza Strip.

    Talking to reporters, the Israeli envoy alleged that Iran has a hand in the attacks and suggested that the country supplied weapons to Hamas.

    “It’s clear to us that Iran is involved with it. We know for sure about supplying of weapons and training,” he alleged.

    Gilon said his country will need the very strong support of “our Indian friends” and that “India is a very influential country in the world, as a country that knows terrorism and understands the crisis.” “It will be very important for us, to give us the ability to do what we need to do in order to make sure that Hamas will not be able to continue doing atrocities,” he said.

    Gilon said India’s support to Israel at this time is based on a deep understanding of terrorism rather than ignorance.

    “We have received huge support from India,” he said.

    “We expect all countries in the world to, first and foremost, condemn the unprovoked murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli civilians, women, men, elderly, and children. This is unacceptable,” Gilon said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed solidarity with Israel following the strikes by Hamas.

    Modi condemned it as “terrorist attacks”.

    “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” Modi said.

    To a question, the Israeli envoy said there is no time for mediation and now is time to take action against terror.

  • Film on Israel’s 1948 war ‘Farha’ shows Palestinian agony: Director Darin J. Sallam

    By AFP

    AMMAN: Jordanian film “Farha”, vehemently criticised in Israel, is based on true events and represents “only a drop in the ocean” of Palestinian suffering, director Darin J. Sallam told AFP.

    Released last month on Netflix, “Farha” depicts atrocities against Palestinians during the 1948 conflict following Israel’s creation, which Palestinians call the Nakba, or “catastrophe”.

    The Arabic-language film tells the story of a Palestinian teenager, Farha, whose village comes under attack by Israeli forces.

    Her father hides her and, through a crack in a door, she witnesses the execution a family of Palestinian civilians, including two girls.

    Sallam, 35, said the plot for her first full-length feature was inspired by a story told to her by her mother, about a Palestinian woman named Radiyeh.

    The film recounts “the story of a girl who had been forced to abandon her dreams because of events she had no control over”, Sallam said.

    “Farha” featured in the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and has won a dozen awards in other festivals.

    In Israel, where discussion of alleged atrocities during the 1948 war remains largely taboo, officials condemned Netflix over the decision to stream the film.

    “I wanted to open the world’s eyes to this pivotal moment in the history… and to show that this land was not without people,” Sallam said, of what is now Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    “Rather, it was a land with people who had lives, dreams, hopes and history.”

    ‘I am Farha’

    The film was shot in the northern Jordan towns of Ajlun and Al-Fuhais, which resemble the Palestinian village where Farha’s story begins.

    The teenage girl tries to persuade her father to let her complete her studies in the city, prepares for a friend’s wedding, and picks figs before her village is attacked.

    Sallam said she avoided showing violence, with the exception of the unarmed family’s killing.

    “This scene, which shook the Israeli government, is only a drop in the ocean of the suffering of millions of Palestinians during the Nakba,” she said.

    Sallam called for more filmmakers to explore this painful chapter in Palestinian history, which “almost never appears in cinema”.

    Her mother, of Syrian origin, had heard Radiyeh’s story at a refugee camp in that country and passed it on to her, “and I decided to make a film and share it”.

    “Radiyeh had been locked up by her father who feared for her, and when she was finally able to come out of hiding she went to Syria,” Sallam said. “That’s where she told the story to my mother.”

    The filmmaker said she had “lost all contact with this woman”, a resident of the war-ravaged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, north of Damascus, since fighting in Syria began in 2011.

    After one screening of the film in the United States, an audience member spoke to Sallam.

    “A woman aged in her eighties who had survived the Nakba told me: ‘I am Farha’”, she said.

    ‘Lies’

    Former Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman, who had served in government until Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power last month, said in November the film’s “whole purpose is to create a false pretence and incite against Israeli soldiers”.

    Chili Tropper, Israel’s former culture minister, said “Farha” shows “lies and libels”.

    For Sallam, whose father is Palestinian, “denying the Nakba is denying my existence, denying the tragedy of millions of people.”

    “My own father survived the Nakba. He… fled to Jordan with his parents.”

    Sallam’s father was born in Ramle, in what is now central Israel.

    Most of its Arab residents fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 conflict, as were more than 760,000 Palestinians across the country.

    Many of their descendants live to this day in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

    More than half of Jordan’s population of about 10 million people are of Palestinian origin, the result of mass displacement in 1948 and during the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

    Last year, Israeli director Alon Schwarz faced backlash over his documentary on an alleged 1948 massacre of Palestinians in Tantura, a Mediterranean village in the northwest of what is now Israel.

    Calls have mounted in recent years, including among Israeli activists, for greater transparency about the conduct of nascent Israeli forces during the 1948 conflict.

    AMMAN: Jordanian film “Farha”, vehemently criticised in Israel, is based on true events and represents “only a drop in the ocean” of Palestinian suffering, director Darin J. Sallam told AFP.

    Released last month on Netflix, “Farha” depicts atrocities against Palestinians during the 1948 conflict following Israel’s creation, which Palestinians call the Nakba, or “catastrophe”.

    The Arabic-language film tells the story of a Palestinian teenager, Farha, whose village comes under attack by Israeli forces.

    Her father hides her and, through a crack in a door, she witnesses the execution a family of Palestinian civilians, including two girls.

    Sallam, 35, said the plot for her first full-length feature was inspired by a story told to her by her mother, about a Palestinian woman named Radiyeh.

    The film recounts “the story of a girl who had been forced to abandon her dreams because of events she had no control over”, Sallam said.

    “Farha” featured in the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and has won a dozen awards in other festivals.

    In Israel, where discussion of alleged atrocities during the 1948 war remains largely taboo, officials condemned Netflix over the decision to stream the film.

    “I wanted to open the world’s eyes to this pivotal moment in the history… and to show that this land was not without people,” Sallam said, of what is now Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    “Rather, it was a land with people who had lives, dreams, hopes and history.”

    ‘I am Farha’

    The film was shot in the northern Jordan towns of Ajlun and Al-Fuhais, which resemble the Palestinian village where Farha’s story begins.

    The teenage girl tries to persuade her father to let her complete her studies in the city, prepares for a friend’s wedding, and picks figs before her village is attacked.

    Sallam said she avoided showing violence, with the exception of the unarmed family’s killing.

    “This scene, which shook the Israeli government, is only a drop in the ocean of the suffering of millions of Palestinians during the Nakba,” she said.

    Sallam called for more filmmakers to explore this painful chapter in Palestinian history, which “almost never appears in cinema”.

    Her mother, of Syrian origin, had heard Radiyeh’s story at a refugee camp in that country and passed it on to her, “and I decided to make a film and share it”.

    “Radiyeh had been locked up by her father who feared for her, and when she was finally able to come out of hiding she went to Syria,” Sallam said. “That’s where she told the story to my mother.”

    The filmmaker said she had “lost all contact with this woman”, a resident of the war-ravaged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, north of Damascus, since fighting in Syria began in 2011.

    After one screening of the film in the United States, an audience member spoke to Sallam.

    “A woman aged in her eighties who had survived the Nakba told me: ‘I am Farha’”, she said.

    ‘Lies’

    Former Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman, who had served in government until Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power last month, said in November the film’s “whole purpose is to create a false pretence and incite against Israeli soldiers”.

    Chili Tropper, Israel’s former culture minister, said “Farha” shows “lies and libels”.

    For Sallam, whose father is Palestinian, “denying the Nakba is denying my existence, denying the tragedy of millions of people.”

    “My own father survived the Nakba. He… fled to Jordan with his parents.”

    Sallam’s father was born in Ramle, in what is now central Israel.

    Most of its Arab residents fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 conflict, as were more than 760,000 Palestinians across the country.

    Many of their descendants live to this day in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

    More than half of Jordan’s population of about 10 million people are of Palestinian origin, the result of mass displacement in 1948 and during the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

    Last year, Israeli director Alon Schwarz faced backlash over his documentary on an alleged 1948 massacre of Palestinians in Tantura, a Mediterranean village in the northwest of what is now Israel.

    Calls have mounted in recent years, including among Israeli activists, for greater transparency about the conduct of nascent Israeli forces during the 1948 conflict.

  • India, UAE, Israel trilateral has US as a partner and the grouping has been rechristened as I2U2

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Till not very long back there was an India, Israel and UAE trilateral. This grouping was formed with the objective of boosting trade among their nations and estimates had pointed that by 2030 trade worth $110 could be established between these three nations.

    US is the latest addition to the grouping which is now being termed as I2U2 (India, Israel, US and UAE).

    A virtual summit of this group is likely to take place around the middle of July, coinciding the US President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East where he is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, West Bank and Israel. It is likely that President Biden will negotiate price of crude that is imported from Saudi Arabia.

    The US is trying to re-energise and revitalize its alliance across the world. The Summit is likely to be attended by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Neftali Bennett and UAE President Mohammad bin Zayad Al Nahyan. 

    Amongst the things that are likely to be discussed are humanitarian aid and food security issues that countries are battling with after the conflict in Ukraine began in February this year.

    US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that each of these countries are technological hubs.

    “India is a massive consumer market. It is a massive producer of high-tech and highly sought-after goods as well. So, there are a number of areas where these countries can work together, whether its technology, trade, climate, COVID-19, and potentially even security as well,” Price said.

    India is well positioned globally. It has a presence across most nations through various groupings like Quad, BRICS, ASEAN, G20 and has also been invited for G7 which Germany is hosting later this month.

  • CPI(M) MP gives notice in Rajya Sabha to move privilege motion on Pegasus issue

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan submitted a notice on Monday to move a privilege motion under rule 187 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha, accusing the government of “misleading” the House on the Pegasus spyware issue.

    In his notice, Sivadasan said on August 9 last year, responding to his question on whether the government had carried out any transaction with NSO Group Technologies, Minister of State, Defence Ajay Bhatt said there was no transaction between the ministry and the Israeli firm, while a report in the New York Times has stated that India and Israel agreed on “the sale of a package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly USD 2 billion — with Pegasus and a missile system as the centrepieces”.

    “This revelation confirms the apprehension that the reply by the Hon Minister was misleading the august House, thus constituting a breach of my privilege as a member of the House and of the privilege of the House as a whole. The matter has grave implications for the dignified functioning of Parliament,” he said.

    The Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP also said he had raised a similar question again, this time to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was rejected, but the MHA chose to “insultingly dub the question as hypothetical in remarks, thus trying to convey the message that there was no ground for such a question to arise”.

    “This response was received in the members’ portal. But the New York Times and several national and international media houses have published the news that Pegasus was bought from NSO group of companies as part of a billion-dollar deal with Israel. Thus, it is evident that the response of the Ministry of Home Affairs is misleading.”

    ALSO READ: Pegasus spy row: CPI MP submits notice to move motion against Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

    “As the minister heading the Ministry of Home Affairs, Amit Shah is responsible for the misleading response, which constitutes a breach of my privilege as a member of the House,” he said.

    Sivadasan also raised questions on the response of Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, who in his statement on the Pegasus issue had said, “NSO has also clearly rubbished the claims in the report.”

    This revelation confirms the apprehension that the statement by the minister was misleading Parliament, thus constituting a breach of the privilege of the House. The matter has grave implications for the dignified functioning of Parliament.

    The continuous accountability of the executive to the legislature is the distinguishing feature. And any attempt by the executive to mislead Parliament constitutes a grave attack on the democratic values.

    “It is a frontal attack on the concept of popular sovereignty, which constitutes the bedrock of our democracy,” the Left leader said in his notice.

    “It is condemnable that the ministers deliberately chose to mislead the House by giving vague and incorrect statements”, he said, adding, “Based on the facts above mentioned, I propose to move a motion to refer the said question of privilege to the Committee of Privileges, Rajya Sabha.”

  • PM Narendra Modi holds ‘fruitful’ meeting with Israeli Premier Naftali Bennett; review bilateral ties

    By PTI

    GLASGOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a “fruitful” first meeting with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit here on Tuesday during which they reviewed the bilateral ties besides exchanging views about expanding cooperation in areas of high-technology and innovation.

    Prime Minister Modi and Bennett’s maiden formal meeting came after their brief interaction on Monday during the climate conference.

    Earlier, recalling their brief meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Modi said that the people of India deeply value the friendship with Israel.

    “Enhancing friendship with Israel. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @naftalibennett had a fruitful meeting in Glasgow. Both leaders discussed deepening various avenues of cooperation for the benefit of our citizens,” the Prime Minister’s office tweeted.

    “Furthering ties with our Strategic Partner. PM @narendramodi met PM of Israel @naftalibennett in Glasgow today,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet.

    “In their first such engagement, the two leaders reviewed our bilateral ties and discussed expanding cooperation in areas of high-technology & innovation,” it said.

    Prime Minister Bennett described the “deep relationship” between India and Israel as one coming from the heart and not being about interests and urged Modi to work together to take the bilateral ties to “a whole new level”.

    “I want to thank you. You’re the person who restarted the relationship between India and Israel, which is a deep relationship between two unique civilizations the Indian civilization, the Jewish civilization and I know it comes from your heart. It’s not about interests; it’s about a deep conviction that you harbour and we feel it,” Bennett told Modi at the start of the meeting.

    “On behalf of all Israeli citizens, we deeply appreciate this whole new approach that will go down in history as something that you brought about. So thank you,” the Israeli premier said as per a communication from his media adviser.

    Bennett also cited the “remarkable dynamics” between Indian and Israeli innovators during his days as an entrepreneur which he said helped shape his feelings.

    “Indeed, my personal experience, to a great degree, shaped my feelings. As you recall, when I ran a hi-tech company, we merged with an Indian company the two ‘I’s, India and Israel in Manhattan. In the office, there were a bunch of Israelis and Indians, and getting together created a remarkable dynamic of innovation. There’s so much that we can learn from you,” he noted.

    Urging to carry forward the deepened cooperation between the two countries that started during his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister vowed to bring the ties together to a new level.

    “This is indeed what we seek to do. Our goal is to continue the wonderful path that you placed with my predecessor, and bring it to a whole new level, so we can ensure that our two nations work together on innovation, technology, space, security, agriculture, food technologies, and of course climate-related technologies,” Bennett stressed.

    The Israeli premier also extended Diwali greetings to Modi and Indians.

    Prime Minister Modi, who was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, interacted with Bennett on Monday in a cordial brief meeting.

    In a video tweeted by Modi, the two leaders were seen exchanging pleasantries during their animated discussion.

    “Indeed! We shall continue working together for stronger bilateral ties and for a better planet,” Modi said in a tweet on Tuesday.

    “The people of India deeply value the friendship with Israel,” he tweeted.

    Prime Minister Bennett, in a tweet, said, “it was truly great to finally meet you, @NarendraModi.”

    The meeting between Modi and Bennett comes after Jaishankar, during his visit to Israel last month, extended an invitation to the Israeli premier on behalf of Modi to visit India.

    According to Israeli media reports, Bennett, who became prime minister in June this year, is likely to visit India next year.

    India and Israel elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during the historic visit of Prime Minister Modi to Israel in July 2017.

    Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

    Prime Minister Modi also met Suriname President and “friend” Chan Santokhi on the sidelines of the climate summit.

    “Delighted to get the opportunity to meet my friend, President Chan Santokhi of Suriname, a nation with which India has deep-rooted cultural linkages,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

  • Pegasus spyware issue India’s internal matter: Israeli envoy

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Israel does not allow companies like NSO to sell their products to non-governmental actors, newly-appointed Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said on Thursday while describing the row over the alleged use of the firm’s spyware Pegasus in India as an internal matter of the country.

    His comments at a press conference came a day after the Supreme Court appointed a three-member committee to investigate the alleged use of Pegasus software to snoop on Indian citizens including journalists, activists and politicians.

    “I will not go into more details. NSA (Group) is a private Israeli company. Every export of NSO or such companies needs an export licence of the Israeli government. We grant this export licence only for exporting to governments,” he said.

    “This is the only main requirement. Under the requirements, they cannot sell it to non-governmental actors. What’s happening here in India is an internal thing for India and I would rather not go into your internal matters,” Gilon said.

    He was replying to questions over allegations of unauthorised surveillance using NSO Group’s spyware Pegasus and whether the Indian government contacted Israel over the issue.

    An international investigative consortium had claimed that many Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were potentially targeted by the NSO Group’s phone hacking software.

    The Supreme Court has set up a three-member independent expert panel to probe the alleged use of Pegasus for targeted surveillance in India, observing the state cannot get a “free pass” every time the spectre of national security is raised.

    Asked about the new quadrilateral grouping comprising India, Israel, the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the envoy said it is focused on cooperation in areas of the economy, trade, infrastructure and technology among others and that there is “no military element” to it.

    When referred to India’s close ties with Iran and whether it will impact the cooperation under the grouping, he said it is to promote something positive and not to create something negative against anyone.

    “Our cooperation is to promote something positive, it is not to create something negative against someone else,” he said.

    “We are very much aware that India has its own interests when it comes to Afghanistan and Iran. I think that in discussions between countries, especially between friends, each country puts forward its own concerns and each country has its own interests, and then you see over time how it circles down, how it comes out,” the envoy said.

    At the same time, he said the biggest threat Israel has been facing is from Iran, alleging that the country has been a source of instability in the Gulf region.

    Gilon said Israel is keen to expand its cooperation with India in areas of economy and trade and said the proposed free trade agreement between the two sides is expected to increase the volume of economic engagement.

    He said the FTA is expected to be finalised by June next year.

    The envoy also said Israel is cooperating with Indian agencies probing the bombing outside the Israeli embassy in the national capital earlier this year.

    “We don’t know yet the identity of the perpetrators. It is an ongoing investigation. I hope we will get to them as soon as possible,” he said.

    The envoy said Israel’s cooperation with India in areas of agriculture, water and irrigation sharing is on an upswing.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid a visit to Israel this month during which he held talks with Israel’s top leadership to further expand the strategic ties between the two countries.

  • Israel sets up inter-ministerial panel to probe Pegasus snooping case

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  With the global Pegasus snooping scandal snowballing, Israel is learnt to have set up a senior inter-ministerial team to examine allegations of its abuse, since the spyware belongs to an Israeli firm, the NSO Group.

    Parallelly, India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is expected to question top government officials on who ordered the snooping, when it meets next Wednesday, said sources.

    Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has been tasked to head the Pegasus probe team. Interestingly, it is the NSC that oversees NSO exports. For its part, the NSO Group said it will thoroughly investigate any credible proof of misuse of its technologies and “will shut down the system where necessary”. 

    The Israeli action appears to be part of its attempts to avert diplomatic flare-ups after suspected abuse of Pegasus was found in France, Mexico, India, Morocco and Iraq. Prominent among the spyware’s targets were 10 prime ministers, three presidents, and a king.

    Since NSO claims it sells only to vetted governments, the needle of suspicion for the snoopgate started pointing towards the ruling dispensations. While Pegasus is meant to help thwart threats to national security, its possible use against political opponents to destabilise governments or win elections indicated its abuse.

    Back home, the Tharoor-led parliamentary panel has summoned senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics, Information and Technology and the Ministry of Home Affairs to its meeting on July 28. The agenda is citizens’ data security and privacy, according to a notification from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. 

    On Wednesday, the global media consortium that is doing the spyware expose, added the names of officials of farm giant Monsanto and other anti-CAA activists as potential targets of Pegasus. Six mobile numbers of Monsanto were added to the list in 2018 when it came under the radar for allegedly selling genetically modified seeds. Also, Samujjal Bhattacharjee, AASU member who was at the forefront of the anti-CAA protests in Assam, was on the list along with ULFA’s Anup Chetia.

  • Israel to resume flights to India

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a decision that comes as a relief to NRIs, Israel has decided to resume flight service from India with effect from May 31. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said the resumption of flights to other countries will be announced in due course, and added that to and fro fights from Israel will be operational till the end of July. 

    In a Facebook post, Muraleedharan said a large number of NRIs who had returned to India and were unable to return to foreign countries for work due to the Covid situation had approached the Ministry of External Affairs for help. Indians seeking entry into Israel need to have visas issued on or after May 1, 2021. Those travellers with visas issued before May 1 need to renew it. They should also produce result of RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before departure.

    On reaching Israel, travellers from India will be subjected to fresh Covid test and will also need to undergo compulsory institutional quarantine for a specified period.  “Despite these restrictions, it needs to be noted that resumption of flight service will be of huge help to a lot of NRIs,” he said.