{"id":317335,"date":"2023-10-17T22:26:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T22:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?p=317335"},"modified":"2023-10-17T22:26:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T22:26:39","slug":"my-memories-of-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/celebrity\/my-memories-of-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"My Memories Of Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Israelis have great love for India,’ says Ashish Mehrotra looking back at his memorable visit to Israel a few years ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I landed in Tel Aviv and my first encounter, believe it or not, was India!<\/p>\n

The taxi driver who picked me from the airport excitedly sang ‘Humko tumse ho gaya hai pyar kya kare<\/em>‘ from Amar Akbar Anthony<\/em>!<\/p>\n

He sang with a wide grin and I heard with an even wider grin. He then told me his mother was a huge Govinda fan. She saw a Hindi film once a week.<\/p>\n

That was my introduction to Israel and what a warm welcome it turned out to be!<\/p>\n

WATCH: An Israeli taxi driver sings a song from Amar Akbar Anthony<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Everywhere I went, I realised that the Israelis had great regard for Indians. One day, I walked into a street fair and was browsing around. There were shops and houses on either side and I got talking to an Israeli lady. On knowing that I was from India, she excitedly told me that her son was touring India at the very moment after completing his military service.<\/p>\n

In a foreign land when you make a connect with the locals on the basis of your home country, it gives such great happiness.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I made it a point to use local transport and would eat at places wherever the taxi drivers chose to eat because that’s how you can truly taste local cuisine.<\/p>\n

I was in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for 4-5 days and discovered that people loved India which is why so many Israeli youngsters visit our country after completing mandatory military service.<\/p>\n

I am still in touch with many Israelis I met during that trip.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What stood out for me during my visit was the link between the old and new. There are places that are ancient and places that are modern — much like India.<\/p>\n

There is a reason why people say that Deep Tech and high level technology emerges out of Israel. You could feel that aura in the air. Tel Aviv is not about glittery skyscrapers; it is about best cutting edge tech.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I discovered that Israelis were conscious of their ancient history, but their thinking was very modern.<\/p>\n

Both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, I walked a lot. Among the places I visited was the home of Israel’s first prime minister David Ben Gurion. It was an old house. Driving around, I found that the infrastructure was good and the beaches very clean.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jerusalem is of religious importance to Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is an amalgamation of three cultures. I can still visualise myself walking through the lanes and visiting the sacred places over there. It was a lovely mix of old and modern.<\/p>\n

We went to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall which is scared to all three religions.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The food was fabulous too. I also remember having the best bagels in Jerusalem, the best shawarma in the West Bank and the best shakshuka in Tel Aviv!<\/p>\n

It is a great place for vegetarians as well because of the wide variety of salads.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One day I made a day trip to the West Bank in Palestine. There was a border check post and there were tourist guides on the other side that made a beeline for us.<\/p>\n

We teamed up with a European lady and we went to Bethlehem and Jericho. I remember my ears going numb while driving to the lowest place on earth in Jericho which is 1,300 feet below sea level. The city is 10,000 years old.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, was thronging with tourists. In fact, there were endless queues in all the important places. The economy there is driven by tourists.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The terrain had a beautiful ruggedness. The only vegetation I saw were date trees.<\/p>\n

The people were equally nice on both sides. India has historically had good relations with both countries and people seem to have an understanding of that.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In this week that Israel is at war, I keep thinking of those memorable days and I picture those by-lanes and the wonderful people I met.<\/p>\n

I pray for their wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani\/Rediff.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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