On Tuesday, India notched a diplomatic milestone after Narendra Modi became the first ever Indian Prime Minister to pay a official visit to Israel.
His Israeli counterparts tried to make this occasion as special as possible, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his whole cabinet were in attendance to receive him at the airport. This special gesture is usually reserved for the US President and the Pope.
PM Netanyahu also decided to give things a personal touch:
#WATCH Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, ‘Aapka swagat hai mere dost’ welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel pic.twitter.com/QjtsoCek2R
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017
Honored and overwhelmed to see @IsraeliPM@netanyahu wearing Tiranga Broach while welcoming @PMOIndia@narendramodi#ModiInIsraelpic.twitter.com/fGtTmI7tJd
— Suresh Nakhua (@sureshnakhua) July 4, 2017
PM Modi also made a symbolic gesture by referring to the martyrdom of PM Netanyahu’s brother during the Operation Entebbe 41 years ago on 4th on July 1976. This operation was carried out by Israeli forces to rescue 106 hostages from Entebbe airport in Uganda after their flight was hijacked by terrorists belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations and the German Revolutionary Cells.
The historically significant visit comes 25 years after both the countries established diplomatic relations. This understandably resulted in a lot of excitement on Social Media and ensued a lot of positive reactions:
Not just Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, entire cabinet is out there to at Ben Gurion Airport greet PM Modi. Extraordinary #ModiInIsrael
— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) July 4, 2017
Took 70 long years to get the basics on track. This is a game changer from every possible perspective. Let that sink in. #ModiInIsrael
— Yashwant Deshmukh (@YRDeshmukh) July 4, 2017
PVNR started dismantling Nehruvian legacy. PM Modi buries it with his visit to Israel
— हम भारत के लोग (@India_Policy) July 4, 2017
Cannot even believe that we kept a country foremost in research, tech & defence at arms length due to vote bank compulsions #ModiInIsrael
— The Masakadzas (@Nesenag) July 4, 2017
For 10 years (2004-2014), the UPA government virtually ignored one of India’s closest friends. #ModiInIsrael is a long overdue corrective.
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) July 4, 2017
It’s an understatement that #ModiInIsrael ends India’s strategic hesitation. It puts an end to something more serious: strategic hypocrisy
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) July 4, 2017
People also praised the PM for embarking on a new foreign policy by not adding Palestine to the itinerary:
By this historic visit to Israel & skipping Palestine PM Modi has paid final burials to Nehruvian Foreign Policy of NAM & Appeasement ???
— Navroop Singh (@s_navroop) July 4, 2017
PM Modi is visiting Israel. Our all weather friend. A long neglected ally. He is not going visit Palestine. Deal with it secularists.
— Nupur (@UnSubtleDesi) July 3, 2017
While most were looking forward to the new era of Indian foreign policy, a journalist decided to add a needless spin to the whole affair:
Don’t forget Sonia Gandhi didn’t attend Yasser Arafat funeral in 2004; Israel ’tilt’ was not overnight; building over years! #NaMosteIsrael
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 4, 2017
Soon people responded to his tweet regarding Sonia Gandhi and the late Palestinian leader’s funeral:
Absence of a pvt person has higher signalling value than presence of Natwar (EAM), E Ahmed (MoS EAM), GN Azad (Parl Affairs) & Lalu (Rlwys)! pic.twitter.com/e4c27TzfHd
— Aashish Chandorkar (@c_aashish) July 4, 2017
Predictably, entire ecosystem has been activated to downplay Modi’s boldness. But durbaris are forgetting Indians are far more informed now.
— iMac_too (@iMac_too) July 4, 2017
