Herzog greets India on 80th Independence Day, seeks stronger Israel ties

Israeli President Isaac Herzog congratulated India on its 80th Independence Day and called for stronger bilateral ties. The greetings and community celebrations across Israel underscored the depth of people-to-people links.

In Short

• Israeli Foreign Ministry also sent greetings as community events unfolded nationwide
• More than 400 Indians gathered in Herzliya for the flag-hoisting ceremony
• The event linked with Suryapath Tiranga baton transfer from Israel to Egypt

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Friday congratulated India and its people on the country’s 80th Independence Day and called for stronger ties between the two countries. In a post on X, he said, "On behalf of the State of Israel, I warmly congratulate President @rashtrapatibhvn, Prime Minister @narendramodi, and the wonderful people of India on your 80th Independence Day!"

Herzog added, "I hope that we will continue to strengthen this beautiful friendship between Israel and India." The Israeli Foreign Ministry also extended its greetings as members of the Indian community in Israel marked the occasion with celebrations and events.

More than 400 Indians from across Israel gathered in Herzliya, a northern coastal city in Tel Aviv district, to celebrate Independence Day. The crowd reached the venue in the morning despite the early start, which was linked to the "historic journey of the Suryapath Tiranga" as the Indian mission in Israel passed the baton to the mission in Egypt.

Ambassador J P Singh hoisted the Tricolour amid patriotic slogans from the gathering. The ceremony began with the singing of Vande Mataram, marking the 150th anniversary of the national song. Singh also felicitated the winners of the "Know India Quiz" and the photography competition "India Through My Lens". The Indian mission later organised a short cultural programme after the flag hoisting.

Separately, the Indian community in Israel has planned several events across the country to mark Independence Day. The Bhartiya Gorkha Association of Israel has organised a special function at Rothschild Street in Tel Aviv and invited members of the community. More than 40,000 Indians are estimated to be working in different sectors of the Israeli economy, with reports of many more waiting to join the workforce. The celebrations across Israel reflected both the scale of the Indian community and the continued engagement between the two countries on India’s 80th Independence Day.

With PTI Inputs

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