New Delhi, 26 February (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been immortalized as the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Medal of the Knesset, Israel's parliament's highest accolade, bestowed upon him following his groundbreaking address to the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem.

Presented by Knesset Speaker H.E. Amir Ohana amid resounding chants of Modi from the assembly, this novel distinction symbolizes profound appreciation for Modi's instrumental role in fortifying India-Israel strategic ties across defense, innovation, security, and diplomacy.

PM Modi humbly dedicated the medal to the abiding friendship between the two democracies, rooted in shared civilizational legacies and contemporary synergies.

In his preceding speech—the first by any Indian Prime Minister to the Knesset—Modi condemned the October 7 terror atrocities, reaffirmed India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, and championed collaborative ventures like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and I2U2. He spotlighted ancient bonds, from Jewish communities thriving in India without persecution to mutual philosophies of global harmony: India's Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Israel's Tikkun Olam.

The ceremony, capped by a standing ovation and Modi's invocation of Am Yisrael Chai, underscores Modi's rare stature as a leader honored with top distinctions from both Israel and Palestine, including the 2018 Grand Collar of the State of Palestine. This pinnacle moment elevates bilateral prospects, including a freshly inked Bilateral Investment Treaty and impending Free Trade Agreement, heralding an era of unprecedented prosperity.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar