Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the ‘Knesset Speaker’s Medal’ by the Israeli Parliament on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to receive the highest honor in the legislature.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana presented the award to the Prime Minister following his speech before the Israeli Parliament.
The medal was awarded in recognition of the Prime Minister’s exceptional contribution, backed by his personal leadership, in strengthening the strategic relations between India and Israel.
Modi is among the few world leaders to have received the highest civilian honors from both Israel and Palestine.
In 2018, he was awarded the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest Palestinian honor awarded to foreign dignitaries.
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The Israeli Prime Minister welcomes Prime Minister Modi
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his speech before the Knesset, describing him as “a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Indo-Israeli alliance, and a great leader on the world stage.” Netanyahu referred to Modi as a “dear friend” and said he was deeply moved by the visit.
“I must tell you, my dear friend, Narendra, I am deeply moved by your visit here today. I have never been more moved by your visit here with us, a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the India-Israel alliance, and a great leader on the world stage. Welcome to Jerusalem, my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and your distinguished delegation,” he said.
He added: “I dare say, more than just a friend or a brother. Now, when I was here last time, we were both on the Mediterranean coast, and I said, why don’t we take off our shoes and go into the water?… We did not walk on water, but we have achieved miracles since then. Because what we have done is we have doubled our trade, tripled our cooperation, and quadrupled our understanding.”
This is Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to Israel in nine years. Bilateral relations were raised to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit in July 2017.
