Indian Cultural Centre to be set up in Israel

"Appreciating the contribution of the Jewish community in India and Jews of Indian origin in Israel in bringing the two societies closer, Prime Minister Modi announced the opening of an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel," said a joint statement issued after the bilateral discussions between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"This was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Netanyahu who expressed his deep respect for Indian culture and recalled Israel's strong support and sponsorship of PM Modi's initiative to promote the practice of Yoga by designating June 21 as International Yoga Day," it stated.

There are around 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, the majority of them hailing from Maharashtra and known as Bene Israelis.

According to the statement, both Modi and Netanyahu also recognised the contribution of Indian care-givers in Israel and expressed their intention to reach a mutually agreed-upon arrangement which will provide for their continued arrival in a regulated manner.

Of around 10,000 Indian nationals in Israel, around 9,000 work as care-givers while the rest are mostly diamond traders, IT professionals and students.