“Glad to be here” says Indian PM Modi on landing in Israel

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel Tuesday afternoon for a three-day visit. “Shalom, I’m glad to be here,” he said in Hebrew.  After exchanging hugs with the visitor, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said: “We welcome you with open arms. We love India and admire its culture, history, democracy and commitment to progress. We are kindred souls in our desire to give the citizens of the world a better future.”

Modi replied: “I am honored to be the first Indian prime minister to make this revolutionary visit to Israel.” He thanked Netanyahu for the warm invitation and mentioned the Entebbe rescue operation, noting that Netanyahu’s brother who lost his life in that operation was “a hero who inspired our young generations.”  India regards Israel as one of its most important partners, he said, adding that he would devote his historical visit to strengthening those ties.