More than 60 years ago, 23 Indian farmers were invited to Israel by former PM David Ben Gurion to plant a grove as a symbol of the steadfastness of the Israel-India alliance. On Monday, India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankhar, accompanied by his wife, met with KKL-JNF’s Chief Development Officer Ronnie Vinnikov as part of a rededication ceremony of the Bhoodan Grove in the heart of the Jerusalem Forest.
The alliance between Israel and India has grown over the years to become one of the Jewish State’s most promising diplomatic friendships, as the two countries cooperate in agriculture, water management, climate change, and security.
Dr. S. Jaishankhar said in a statement: “In more contemporary days, we look how far our diplomatic relations have come. But it’s important to keep going back into history and keep finding other connections between us. This is an aspect of our shared history. I am very glad my visit today provides an opportunity to look at that.”
Ronnie Vinnikov said in a statement: “Israel and India have a long history of partnership and cooperation, including those initiatives close to the heart of our organization, Keren Keyemeth L’Israel -Jewish National Fund. Our countries continue to share in each other’s cultural wealth while also sharing technology in the fight against climate change. Your visit here this week will help strengthen ties between our two countries, as well as with our organization.”