Jerusalem: Lauding the courage of India and the people of Mumbai, Israel has said that the enormous loss on that “horrible day” in November 2008 has forged a strong bond between the two countries.
The remark was made in context to the 26/11 Mumbai attack that continues to be an emotional moment for a lot of Israelis who feel that the 26/11 terror strike “is a shared pain” that binds India and Israel together.
“I remember vividly the courage of India and of the people of Mumbai and there is not one minute in which we do not benefit from the strategic partnership that was forged between us, among other things, on that horrible day,” Israeli foreign ministry’s Director General, Alon Ushpiz, wrote on Twitter.
“Tomorrow (Saturday) marks 14 years since the bloody terrorist attack in Mumbai which targeted 5 locations including the Chabad House in which Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtsberg, Rabbi Gavriel Taitelbaum, Mrs. Norma Rabinovich, Rabbi Ben Zion Kurman and Mrs. Yocheved Orpaz were murdered,” Ushpiz, who has in the past served as Israel’s Ambassador in India, wrote on Friday.
Israel’s top diplomat also called India’s Ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla, to convey his “deepest condolences” for this enormous loss of innocent civilians that day, among them six Israelis.
“May the memory of the victims be a blessing,” he said.
Several events are planned across Israel on Friday and Saturday (after Shabbat) to pay respects to the victims of the attack in which six Jews were also killed.
Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be “brought to justice”.
The Mumbai terror attack which drew widespread global condemnation, began on November 26 and lasted until November 29, 2008.
A total of 166 people, including six Israelis and several other foreign nationals, were killed and more than 300 others wounded.
Nine Pakistani terrorists were killed by the Indian security forces. Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.
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