00:00His Excellency, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, His Excellency, Mr. Aamir Ohana, speaker of the message,
00:17His Excellency, Mr. Aamir Lafitte, Leader of Opposition, Honourable members of the Kadesh,
00:33and my dear sisters and brothers, Shalom. Namaste. Honorable members, it is a privilege
00:56and an honour for me to stand before this distinguished house.
01:06I do so as the Prime Minister of India and also as a representative of one ancient civilization
01:20addressing another. I bring with me the greetings of 1.4 billion Indians and a message
01:37of friendship, respect and partnership. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your kind invitation
01:58and for your wonderful gesture of lighting up the Knesset in Indian colours.
02:09Your visit to India three years ago was the first by a speaker of the Knesset.
02:20And thanks to you, I am the first Prime Minister of India to address this August gathering.
02:33Nine years ago, I had the good fortune to be the first Prime Minister of India to visit Israel.
02:46And I am very happy to be here again, returning to a land to which I have always felt drawn.
02:58After all, I was born on the same day that India formally recognized Israel, September 17, 1950.
03:25I also carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost
03:42and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.
03:59We feel your pain.
04:03We share your grief.
04:09India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond.
04:49No cause can justify
04:54प्यूंज़ और शीजिए रसुलिए नहीं जान प्यूंज़ झारुद। इन्या है को धूंज़ जारुद। घ्टिजिए आव प्यूंज़ आरुद।
05:09for a long time.
05:13We remember
05:14the 2611 Mumbai attacks
05:19and the innocent lives lost
05:23including
05:24Israeli citizens
05:27like you.
05:31We have consistent
05:33and uncompromising policy
05:38of zero tolerance
05:41for terrorism
05:43with no double standards.
05:49Terrorism
05:50aims to destabilize societies,
05:55to block development
05:58and to erode trust.
06:04Countering terrorism requires
06:06sustained and coordinated global action
06:12because terror anywhere threatens
06:19peace everywhere.
06:23That is why
06:25India supports all efforts
06:30that contribute to durable
06:34peace
06:36and regional stability.
06:39Some years ago
06:43when you concluded
06:45the Abraham Accords
06:49we applauded
06:52your courage
06:54and vision.
06:57It was a moment of new hope
06:59for a long
07:02troubled region.
07:06since then
07:08the situation
07:10has changed
07:11significantly.
07:15The path
07:16is even more
07:18challenging.
07:20Yet
07:21it is important
07:23to sustain
07:26that hope.
07:28the Gaza
07:30peace initiative
07:33that was endorsed
07:35by the UN Security Council
07:37offers
07:39a pathway.
07:42India
07:43has expressed
07:44its firm support
07:46for the initiative.
07:49we believe that
07:52it holds the promise
07:55of a just
07:57and
07:58durable
08:00peace
08:01for all
08:03the people
08:03of the region
08:04including
08:07by addressing
08:09the Palestine
08:11issue.
08:13Let all
08:14our efforts
08:15be guided
08:16by wisdom
08:16courage
08:18and
08:20humanity.
08:23The road
08:24to peace
08:25is not
08:26always easy
08:28but
08:29India
08:31joins you
08:32and the world
08:34for dialogue
08:36peace
08:38and stability
08:39in this region.
08:43Honorable
08:43members
08:44in India
08:46there is a
08:49great
08:50admiration
08:52for Israel's
08:55resolve
08:55courage
08:57and
08:59achievements.
09:01Long
09:02before
09:02we
09:03related
09:04to each
09:05as modern
09:07states
09:08we were linked
09:10by ties
09:11that go back
09:13more than
09:152,000 years.
09:17The book
09:19of Esther
09:20refers to
09:22India
09:22as
09:24Hodu.
09:26The Talmud
09:27records
09:28trade with
09:30India
09:30in ancient
09:31times.
09:32Jewish
09:34merchants
09:35traveled
09:35across
09:36sea routes
09:37that
09:39connected
09:39the
09:40Mediterranean
09:41with the
09:43Indian
09:43ocean.
09:45They
09:46came
09:47seeking
09:48opportunity
09:49and dignity
09:50and in
09:52India
09:53they
09:54became
09:55one
09:56of us.
09:59Jewish
10:00communities
10:01have lived
10:03in India
10:04without fear
10:06of
10:07persecution
10:08or
10:09discrimination.
10:12They
10:13have preserved
10:14their faiths
10:15and
10:17participated
10:17fully
10:18in society.
10:21That record
10:22is a
10:24source of
10:25pride for
10:25us.
10:27Honorable
10:28members,
10:30the
10:30Bene
10:31Israel
10:31of
10:32Maharashtra,
10:34the
10:34Cochini
10:35Jews
10:35of
10:36Kerala,
10:38the
10:38Baghdadi
10:39Jews
10:39of
10:40Kolkata
10:40and
10:41Mumbai
10:42and
10:43the
10:43Bene
10:44Menashe
10:44of
10:45the
10:45Northeast
10:45have
10:47enriched
10:47India.
10:49In my
10:50home state
10:51Gujaramat,
10:53there is
10:54a school
10:55set up
10:56by a
10:57Bene
10:58Israeli
10:58family
10:59Mr.
11:01and
11:01Mrs.
11:01Best.
11:03It is
11:04an excellent
11:05school
11:05and of
11:06course
11:07it is
11:08called
11:08the
11:09Best
11:10School.
11:11Thank you.
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