Israel is our partner to achieve high growth.

Israel has been a success story in the field of agriculture with the growth in agro-technology getting a big boost through remarkable cooperation between farmers, researchers and agriculture-related industries.

“We have also offered to set up an India–Israel industrial park in Maharashtra, expecting the collaboration to take the bilateral ties of India and Israel to the next level.”

M a h a r a s h t r a ’ s C E O Devendra Fadnavis is one of the youngest Chief Ministers in India who has put his state on a fast track development while winning hearts across the political divide. Maharashtra is one of India’s fastest growing industrial state, an international centre of Indian cinema and the ancient place that gave shelter to the Jewish community two thousand years ago- when fourteen survivors of a shipwreck found home and warmth at Navgaon and Alibaug. They are known as Bene Israel who contributed enormously to India’s growth story. Devendra Fadnavis shares special cordial relations with Israel and Jewish community holds him in high esteem. He has also assured them to help build India’s first ever Museum of Tolerance and Peace and a memorial to the Jews who arrived India two thousand years ago at Navagaon. Namaste Shalom, Editor, Tarun Vijay met him at his residence Varsha. Following are excerpts from the exclusive interview.

Editor: what are your first memories of Israel ? When you visited Israel in 2015 as CM, you were given a very warm and extraordinary welcome and Prime Minister received you. Devendra Fadnavis:

My first impressions are that Israelis are the true friends of India. When i visited Israel, I was deeply impressed with their technological advancements in various fields especially in agriculture and cyber security areas. They assured me to help Maharashtra farmers with their technology for better yields.

What were your experiences in Israel and how do you envisage the cooperation from Israel to be used for the overall benefit and development of Maharashtra?

Israel has drawn global attention for its remarkable progress in innovating unique technologies in the field of irrigation, greenhouses, dairy farming, seeds, poultry farming, fertilisers and plant protection that has revolutionised the agriculture sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field.

Israel’s unique agriculture techniques, which give “more crop per drop’ have impressed me most. We not only want to import technologies, but also want to develop these in Maharashtra. That is what ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make in Maharashtra’ stand for. We appreciate Israel’s ‘more crop per drop’ and look forward for technological collaborations for such initiatives.

How you think the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will contribute for the strengthening of bilateral relations?

It’s a very significant visit and we are delighted to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu who is also visiting Mumbai. Israel will be our important partner on the path of sustained high growth and all around development. Developmental challenges being faced by both countries are same. We need science, techonological advancements as well as innovations and higher technical education which will help both of us to overcome most of the developmental challenges. Besides building a partnership for mutual economic growth, we are also cooperating to secure our societies against common threats such as terrorism. During my visit to Israel, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for a collaboration with Maharashtra in field of agriculture, especially towards targeting agrarian crisis. He also extended cooperation in the field of manufacturing, internal security and cyber security, and support for creating Smart Cities.

Chief Minister Fadnavis with Israel’s Ambassdor Daniel Carmon

How you think PM Modi ji has contributed by becoming post independence India’s first PM to visit Israel ?

Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s visit to Israel was historic not only because Modiji was the first Prime Minister in last 70 years to visit Israel but also the visit laid the foundation of strong foundations for an abiding alliance between the two countries and upheld their desire to work closely together. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even termed this relationship as like a marriage made in heaven and being implemented on the earth.

Part of the most recent wave of Jewish entry into India. By the mid-18th and 19th century, the Baghdadi Jews are said to have moved in to create a strong entrepreneurial class in the British port cities of India like Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai) and Rangoon (Yangon).

By the mid-19th century, the Baghdadi Jews had risen in wealth and status and established Jewish schools, kosher markets and ritual baths. One of the most influential names in the history of Jewish presence in India is that of businessman Shaikh David Sassoon who arrived in Bombay in 1828. He was also a reputed philanthropist and went on to build several synagogues, hostels, schools, hospitals, libraries and charitable institutions.Sassoon Hospital in Pune was constructed by David Sassoonbesides building As India is a major arm Bank of India’s Head office in Mumbai, Victoria garden and Albert Museum, Masina Hospital, David Sassoon Library etc.

“The Bene Israeli who went back to Israel still speak Marathi, they wear the local Maharashtrian dress and tie the Mangal Sutra in weddings.”

What were your experiences in Israel and how you envisage the cooperation from Israel can be used for the overall benefit and development of Maharashtra ? in specifically what fields?

The cooperative efforts led to breakthrough achievements in all branches of agriculture here and have fostered a market-oriented agri-business that exports its agrotechnology solutions all over the world.

The country has drawn global attention for its remarkable progress in innovating unique technologies in the field of irrigation, greenhouses, dairy farming, seeds, poultry farming, fertilisers and plant protection that has revolutionised the agriculture sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field.

Israel’s unique agriculture techniques, which give “more crop per drop’ have impressed me most. We not only want to import technologies, but also sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field.

I have urged the Peres Centre for Peace, founded by Shimon Peres, to help districts in Maharashtra in tackling the agriculture crisis that leads to farmer suicides. Jethro and Demeter have decided to send a team of experts to visit the districts to prepare an action plan that would be adaptable to domestic conditions and help in addressing the issue.

“The Maharashtra Government will surely extend all support for construction of Jewish Memorial at Navagaon. Besides this, the community demanded land for development of Museum of Tolerance and a proposal for providing land of 4 acres at village Awas is in process.”

How you think the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will contribute for the strengthening of bilateral relations?

During my visit to Israel, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for a collaboration with Maharashtra in field of agriculture, especially towards targeting agrarian crisis. He also extended cooperation in the field of manufacturing, internal security and cyber security, and support for creating Smart Cities.

We have also offered to set up an India–Israel industrial park in Maharashtra, expecting the collaboration to take the bilateral ties of India and Israel to the next level.

What are your thoughts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives on improving indiaIsrael relation?

Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s visit to Israel was historic not only because Modiji was the first Prime Minister in last 70 years to visit Israel but also the visit lead strong foundations for an abiding alliance between the two countries and upheld their desire to work closely together. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even termed this relationship as like a marriage made in heaven and being implemented on the earth.

You have very special cordial bond with Bene Israeli community in Maharashtra. How do you look at their journey in the state?

The Bene Israeli, that numerically form the largest Jewish group in India, belong to the region in and around Maharashtra and Konkan. According to locallegend, Bene Israeli arrived between 1600 and 1800 years back when they were shipwrecked on the Konkan coast. As per the legend, only 14 of them survived and they took refuge in a village called Nawagaon, close to Mumbai.

They assimilated over the years with local communities in India but they kept their religion and customs such as the Shema, Kashrut, Shabbath and the Brith, among other things. The Bene Israeli who went back to Israel still speak Marathi, they wear the local Maharashtrian dress and tie the Mangal Sutra in weddings. Use of coconut oil and camphor inside the synagogues, haldi and henna in weddings are few other examples of a Jewish culture in India, heavily influenced by Indian culture. Not only this, Bene Israeli who have situated now in Israel cannot forget Marathi and it is praiseworthy that they have started a Marathi periodical there with the title Mayboli which mean ‘mother tongue’. They achieved everything with their hard work and never asked for any special status.

How you look at the contribution for the India’s growth story by Jewish community?

The Jewish community, through their culture, architecture and arts, has contributed immensely in the development of India. Since their arrival in India, they have been at the frontiers in bringing development through numerous establishments, hospitals and institutions built in and around Pune, Mumbai and coastal towns in Konkan.

Other structures built by the community include Sassoon General Hospital, Nivara Sanstha in Pune, Kala Ghoda and Masjid Bandar in Mumbai.

Notably, their contributions to Marathi language and culture have also been remarkable, Mumbai, Pune, areas in Konkan, Ahmedabad and Karachi were popular settlements for Jews. This is indicated by the excavations that show the presence of crematoriums and places of worship at these places.

The Baghdadi Jews are said to be purchaser of Israel, already there are commercial links between both the countries but after Prime Minister’s visit, the equation of buyer and vendor has been changed.

Both countries are proceeding beyond a vendor-buyer relationship by promoting joint ventures in India for customised design and production, and with Israel lending its technologies and know-how to India’s critical sectors like food security, water management and efficiency, space, cyberspace and data protection, e-learning and innovation, and digitalisation. Significant agreements were signed between India and Israel that could be beneficial to both the countries in the long run. The decision of establishing a Bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth 40 million dollars for research and development will help us in develop ,build and implement mutually beneficial solutions

We have heard of a proposal to build a Jewish memorial in Navagaon – Museum of Tolerance taking shape and what are your plans to develop it as an international Jewish place of respect?

In Maharashtra Jews are known as Bene Israeli. Large group of Bene Israeli is residing here for almost two millennium. It is not surprising that villages on Konkan coast like Alibaugh have colonies named after Bene Israeli.

A memorial pillar has been constructed near Jewish cemetery in the memory of that 14 people who took refuge in Nawagaon near Alibaugh. It was a demand by the Jewish Community that a Memorial should be developed near this pillar.

The Maharashtra Government will surely extend all support for construction of Jewish Memorial at Navagaon. Besides this, the community demanded land for development of Museum of Tolerance and a proposal for providing land of 4 acres at village Awas is in process.