Shalom Bollywood Live: Benjamin Netanyahu clicks selfie with Bollywood stars
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Mumbai, had a packed schedule for the last leg of his India visit. His day began with a 'power breakfast' with the countries top business leaders, after which he participated in an India-Israel business seminar. He paid tributes to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack victims. There was a wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, following which he visited the Nariman House which was renamed as Chabad House. The Israeli prime minister landed at Mumbai airport on Wednesday night for the Mumbai leg of his six-day India visit. Some top industrialists, businessmen and top banking officials at the 'power breakfast' included Anand Mahindra, Ajay Piramal, Adi Godrej, and Chanda Kochhar. PM Netanyahu attended the much-anticipated "Shalom Bollywood" event that attracted a galaxy of leading actors, directors and producers including Amitabh Bachchan. Later he went for a gala dinner in a south Mumbai five-star hotel.
Here are the highlights from the Mumbai leg of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's India visit:
I am so passionate about this relationship and I want every Indian and every Israelian to know about the phenomenal friendship between the two countries. So I have an idea, one of the most viral pictures of all time took place at the Oscars, and several celebrities including Brad Pitt took a selfie. So I want the all the Bollywood celebrities, producers and starts to join together for a selfie. Let a few hundred million people see the friendship: Benjamin Netanyahu
There are two great texts in this world, one is the Sanskrit writings and the Bible: Israel PM
What I see in India is creativity and resolve led by PM Modi, my dear friend, to seize the future. We want to seize it with you. We believe in you. We believe in Bollywood, we believe in India. We believe in the India-Israel relationships: Benjamin Netanyahu at "Shalom Bollywood" event
"Development is not just in agriculture, industries, IT or space, it is also in the arts and in the digital age. There are endless possibilities for creativity. And if we join forces, magic happens," Israel PM said.
"These things are happening at a rapid rate. We know and you know. I am a son of a historian and my father asked me to look at history."
I want to say, Amitabh, as we discussed before, we are a wonderful family. The rise of Bollywood is a part of the rise of India as a global power and this will be the rise of Israel as a global technological power: Benjamin Netanyahu
You have something else, and this is we have great ideas. We are in a midst of a technological revolution and in Israel you will see great technology for businesses and big ideas: Israel PM
And you have seen what you find in Israel. In an hour's drive, you have seen the snow, the beach, the desert, you have the salty sea, a sweet lake, great Indian food. I love Indian food, but it's not only this. It is not only great locations: Benjamin Netanyahu
"I want to make a pledge tonight, if you guys come and you guys need more, we will put in more. We want Bollywood in Israel," Benjamin Netanyahu asserted at the Shalom Bollywood event.
"Before Narendra Modi's historic visit to Israel, we passed several resolutions about cementing ties and one of them is about films. We put a modest sum of 4 million shekel for starting out. You guys have used it all, not all of it, there are some left," he added.
As he addressed the crowd at the Shalom Bollywood event, Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I have to apologise that the rest of my speech will be in Hindi."
Praising Big B, he said, "I just found out that Amitabh Bachchan had 30 million more followers than I do."
"I looked at other stars as well and I realised that you guys are a big thing. And the reason for that is that the world loves Bollywood, Israel loves Bollywood and I love Bollywood. We are putting our money where our mouth is."
Benjamin Netanyahu met representatives of Hindi film industry at 'Shalom Bollywood' event today during his Mumbai visit. He met Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Johar at the event.
"Indian cinema has gone truly global, it is liked in every part of the world," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Representatives of the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai had met Amitabh Bachchan last week and extended an invite for the event.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon attend the 'Shalom Bollywood' event. The event is expected to be attended by Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan.
"Know 1983 World Cup? That Is Competition", Says Benjamin NetanyahuCalling ties between India and Israel a "match made in heaven", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said that the partnership between the two countries is reaching 'unprecedented heights' and the possibilities are 'boundless'. "Israel is an innovation nation, India is an innovation nation. The two innovation nations must come together to define the future," the Israeli premier, who is on the final leg of his six-day India visit, said at the India-Israel Business Summit in Mumbai.
The Israeli prime minister thanked Moshe for hosting him and showing him his room in the Chabad House. "Your parents showed love to the people and welcomed all to this house. They provided for every Jew a home. This is loving Israel but terrorists showed hatred towards Israel," he said.
The Chabad House is a unique blend of love and hatred towards the people of Israel, the country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said while addressing people at the Chabad House, or the Nariman House. "This place is a unique merge between love for Israeli people and the hatred towards the people of Israel. The nation of Israel is known for salvation," Netanyahu told the gathering in Hebrew.
This is the first-ever visit by any high ranking Israeli dignitary to Chabad House, which reopened in 2014, and is likely to be partly converted into a Living Memorial.
Announced in July last year, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Israel, Israeli PM Netanyahu's visit to the Chabad House came on the final day of his six-day visit to India.
Israeli PM Bejamin Netanyahu and Moshe Holtzberg were both seen sporting the trademark Jewish small brimless cloth cap, 'Kippah,' As Israel's Netanyahu was warmly welcomed by the present Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky and other officials of Chabad House in the afternoon.
The Prime Minister held onto Moshe, while his grandfather Shimon Rosenberg and his grandmother watched and smiled.
Netanyahu paid visit to the Nariman House, where he met 11-year-old Israeli boy Moshe Holtzberg. Moshe's father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 attacks. The Jewish couple ran a cultural and outreach centre for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at the Nariman House in south Mumbai's Colaba area.
Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu meets Holtzberg Moshe at the Chabad House.
Benjamin Netanyahu lays wreath for 26/11 victims
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays wreath at the memorial of 26/11 terror attack victims at Taj Hotel in Mumbai.
Talking about his experience at iCreate on Wednesday, he asserted, "I also visited iCreate, an impressive hub where brilliant young minds come to solve problems. I was particularly impressed with a 14-year-old boy. This was slumdog millionaire. He produces drone which goes up the sky & identifies landmines, it'll save lives."
Speaking at the India-Business Summit, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Israel is an innovation nation, India is an innovation nation. The two innovation nations must come together to define the future."
"India also knows the value of competition and the glory of competition. How many of you know who won the 1983 World Cup? If you were not in London then you must be on streets honking when India defeated West Indies. That is competition," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Benjamin Netanyahu is accompanied by a 130-member business delegation representing 102 companies, with a focus on agriculture, defence and cyber security sectors. Till now, the visit has seen agreements and statements on innovation, strengthening the start-up innovation system, information technology, defence, electric vehicles and agriculture sectors. The bilateral trade between India and Israel increased to $5 billion in 2016-17 from $4.91 billion in the previous fiscal. In the first leg of the visit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Israeli companies to invest in the country, saying India presents vast opportunities. India has received total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $130 million from Israel during April 2000 to September 2017 period.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will conclude his hectic schedule by attending the 'Shalom Bollywood' event, in which he will invite leading actors, directors, and producers in the Indian cinema industry to go to Israel to shoot movies and collaborate with the Israeli film and television industry.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will later meet around 25 to 30 members of the Jewish community at the Taj Mahal Hotel. There are about 5,000 members of the Jewish community living in India, most of who call Mumbai their home. The city earlier had a sizable Jewish population, but around 33,000 Jews migrated to Israel. Mumbai has three distinct Jewish communities -- Bene Israel Jews, Baghdadi Jews and the Malabar Jews. For them, the visit by the Israeli prime minister is about reconnecting with old friends and strengthening old bonds.
In the first ever visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to India's financial capital, Prime Minister Netanyahu will lay a wreath at the memorial for the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks. Netanyahu will then proceed to the nearby Nariman House, where he will meet 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg. Moshe's father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The Jewish couple ran a cultural and outreach centre for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at the Nariman House in south Mumbai's Colaba area.
Business leaders who were present at the 'power breakfast' with Prime Minister Netanyahu included Ajay Piramal, Rahul Bajaj, Adi Godrej, Harsh Goenka, Anand Mahindra, Dilip Shanghvi, Ashok Hinduja, Atul Punj and Chanda Kochhar.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu interacted with business leaders this morning at Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel overlooking the Arabia Sea. This will be followed by his address to the India-Israel Business Summit, also at the same venue in a short while from now.
11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg will join Prime Minister Netanyahu during his visit to Nariman House and Chabad Centre. Moshe's father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Prime Minister Netanyahu will also meet around 30 members of the Jewish community at the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will also attend the summit. Sources have confirmed that there may even be a one-on-one meeting between Chief Minister Fadnavis and Prime Minister Netanyahu, after which the chief minister will host a lunch for the Israeli premier and his delegation, they said.
Some top industrialists, businessmen and top banking officials at the 'power breakfast' included Anand Mahindra, Ajay Piramal, Adi Godrej, and Chanda Kochhar. Prime Minister will also address the India-Israel Business Summit at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel in South Mumbai.
The Israeli prime minister landed at Mumbai airport last night for the Mumbai leg of his six-day India visit. He was welcomed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in Mumbai today, has a packed schedule for the last leg of his India visit. His day began with a 'power breakfast' with the countries top business leaders, after which he participated in an India-Israel business seminar. Later in the day he will pay tributes to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack victims. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, following which he will visit Nariman House and the Chabad Centre. In the evening, he will attend a mega Bollywood event titled 'Shalom Bollywood'.