He looked like he could be one of my family members. His body language showed he was amongst his very dear acquaintances. Not for a moment did he show any arrogance of the high office he adorns. Like a grandpa talking to his grandsons and daughters in a happy mood, he spoke to Indians who accompanied him to various events or had an interaction with him.
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That was my first impression of President Rivlin. I was lucky to get a place at his dinner table that would allow me to speak with him directly, face to face, and also ask a question if he allowed.
It was not easy, as you can imagine, because he was busy speaking with various other people too as the delicious dishes came. Eventually, I cleared my throat to catch his attention and asked, perhaps a bit loudly, leaving no chance to miss his attention: "I can see, that his excellency likes Indian food."
He looked at me and replied shyly, "Yes yes, I do like. We get some Indian dishes in Israel. A large number of Indians there".
"Thank you, your excellency, Israel has been in my thoughts since childhood, as a dream destination," I replied.
"Oh that's nice, have you visited Israel?," he asked, "You must have."
He might have thought if I loved Israel so much I must have visited it at least once over the years."No no. Never," I conceded. "But I would like to come, especially to see your academic institutions and work in the region of cybersecurity."
He said, "Oh sure, you are welcome, we are good in cybersecurity. Even our high-school kids are masters in that field," he laughed. He then turned to his left, and said, "Speak to Rivka Carmi, she is the president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (at the time). Best in the field.''
Rivca Carmi told me, "We are miles ahead of anyone in cybersecurity; our kids, even before they reach high school, become trained hackers!"
I was impressed. He came with a huge entourage of academics, business people and leaders of excellence in various fields. His words in a speech in Delhi, still reverberate in my ears: "Israel is ready to make in India and make with India," reflecting the desire to collaborate on a range of issues. I thanked him and added, "Your excellency, every bilateral relation thrives on the shoulders of memory transferred to the younger generation. Please help our youth visit each other more and more." He smiled affirmatively.
Rivlin's eight-day visit to India left a beautiful, positive imprint on our minds. His background deeply impressed us. Not just that he belonged to a very distinguished family, he has had a vast experience in public life, reaching the top position from after being a minister of communication to speaker of the Knesset and finally adorning the office of the head of the state.
In India, he spoke from the heart directly to the hearts of millions of Indians. He said both India and Israel were threatened by terrorism as the two countries uphold values of freedom. He said India and "Israel will be together in fighting the menace of terrorism."
Our prime minister, Narendra Modi, who has made history in India-Israel relations by becoming the first premier to visit the Jewish state, told Rivlin after he arrived in India: "Forces of extremism and radicalization threaten all peace-loving nations. We have also prioritized practical and specific engagement such as in the cyber domain."
Referring to Israel's expertise in micro-irrigation in drought-prone areas, the prime minister said water management and conservation, and collaboration in scientific research were identified as areas for priority engagement. "The growing number of Indian students going to study in Israel and vice versa can be an important bridge in our bilateral partnership," he added.
Modi mentioned the age-old relations between India and Israel and said: "As fellow democracies, our people are our biggest strength and the biggest beneficiaries of a strong India-Israel partnership. The 2000-year old Jewish community in India represents a thriving link to this past. Today, it is a vital part of our composite cultural mosaic that continues to thrive in their traditions. We are proud of the Jewish community in India. Promoting people-to-people contacts, which has a long shared history, is our shared priority."
I think the best signature of President Rivlin on Indians has been his emphasis on academic cooperation. At an event in Delhi during his visit in which agreements were declared between the two countries, he said academic cooperation between Israel and India has grown a lot and noted the many Indians studying in Israel and the dozens of joint projects that both governments have been advancing.
And now, when he is about to leave office, we in India wish him very happy, healthy years ahead and invite him to visit India once again, to see how his historic visit has helped in making India-Israel relations flourish even more and in such a fantastic way.
Thank you Mr. President.
Tarun Vijay, based in Delhi, served in the Indian parliament's upper house as a member of the ruling BJP party. He is the founder and former president of the India Israel Friendship Parliamentary Group.
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