Sydney, 22 Feb, 2017
It was a great pleasure & privilege to be invited to the welcome event for Prime Minister of Israel, His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, at the iconic Central Synagogue, Bondi Junction, Sydney. Central Synagogue is the biggest Synagogue in the Southern Hemisphere.
This was the first official visit of an Israeli PM to Australia in 70 years.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described Israel as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East and praised Israelis for their innovative attitude. He described Australia as a great friend of Israel. PM Netanyahu (Nicknamed Bibi) spoke well and outlined Jewish people’s “can do” and “must succeed” instincts. He mentioned his belief, and the fact, of the Jewish people, the Indians & the Chinese being the people belonging to the ancient civilizations, which have survived despite the odds and adversities.
The high profile nature of the event can be gauzed by the presence of Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Ministers (John Howard and Tony Abbott), NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and many Ministers and MPs from both sides of politics.
There were a few representatives from Australian multicultural community, which included Indian (myself), Greek, Chinese, Armenian and South Korean. The crowd of approximately 2000 people gave standing ovation and a round of prolonged applause to Australian PM, Israeli PM, and Former Prime Ministers, Abbott and Howard.
Dr Yadu Singh
Yadu Singh's Blog 