(((The takeaway here:)))
"• Military cooperation and arms sales have become a central aspect of Israel-India relations.[28] • In 2009, Israel overtook Russia as India's leading arms supplier, with Israel and India signing more than $1 billion in defense contracts in 2007 and 2008.[29] • India has increasingly turned to Israel for sophisticated weapons systems. The Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 was particularly significant in expediting India’s acquisition of air and naval surveillance systems which they bought from Israel.[30] "
Contact: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi: 202-857-6644, [email protected]
Jennifer Packer: 202-857-6657, [email protected]
www.theisraelproject.org
Terrorists Attacked Mumbai One Year Ago Nov. 26
Pakistan-based Group Targeted Jews, Israelis
Anniversary of Mumbai Massacre: India and Israel Continue Strengthening Friendship and Cooperation
Donate to the Chabad of Mumbai Relief Fund
Expert sources available for press interviews
Thursday (Nov. 26) will mark the one-year anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, in which terrorists laid siege to the city, killing 170 people and wounding more than 300.[1]
Ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba—a Pakistan-based terrorist group—attacked Mumbai for three days, bombing and shooting at two luxury hotels, a train station, a cafe and the city’s Chabad Jewish Center. 9 (((A brilliantly destabilizing tactic, but they're now really busy applying it inside Pakistan itself, where even the spies aren't safe any more:)))
(((Boy, that must have elicited a few sour chuckles over at the Indian Research and Analysis Wing. Pakistani jihadis are now killing far more Pakistanis than they are Indians.)))
[2]
The terror ended Nov. 29 when Indian police commandos raided the hotel where the remaining terrorists were holed up.
At the Chabad center, the terrorists killed six people: the center’s director Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg (an American and Israeli citizen); his pregnant wife, Rivka Holtzberg (an Israeli citizen); Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum (an American citizen); Bentzion Chroman (an American and Israeli citizen); Yocheved Orpaz (an Israeli citizen); [3] and Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich (a Mexican citizen).[4]
A center staff member escaped the building Nov. 27, 2008 with the Holtzbergs’ son Moshe, who was two at the time of the attack. Sandra Samuel, 45, the cook who pulled the boy out the building, said she saw Rabbi Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and two other guests lying on the floor, apparently “unconscious.”[5] Two years ago the family buried another child who died from Tay-Sachs disease.
On Nov. 12, 2009, the fathers of Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife joined Chabad leaders in Brooklyn to commemorate the completion of a Torah scroll dedicated to the couple and the four other victims slain at the Mumbai Chabad center. Thousands of Chabad emissaries inscribed a letter in the scroll, which will be donated to the Mumbai center.[6] Several U.S. Chabad houses also sponsored “Loaves of Love,” an event for women in honor of the first anniversary of Rivka Holtzberg’s death. Participants baked challah, a traditional Jewish braided bread and distributed them to exemplify Rivka Holtzberg’s generosity.[7] (((You'd think that religious zealots would specialize in wiping out, say, technocratic agnostic world trade zillionaires rather than hair-in-a-kerchief saintly and hospitable female bread-bakers, but except for the occasional skyscraper attack, this tactic scarcely occurs to them. It's pretty clear that killing Moslems is Moslem jihadi job number one, even though they cheerfully kill anybody else whenever given the chance.)))
Although the Pakistani government has arrested seven members of Lashkar-e-Taiba for helping to plot the attacks, in June 2009 a Pakistani court released alleged mastermind Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, citing insufficient evidence,[8] and another court dismissed charges against him again in October.[9] Saeed founded Lashkar-e-Taiba—banned by the Pakistani government months after the 9/11 attacks[10] —and runs an Islamic charity the United Nations considers a front for the terrorist group.[11] (((He's a Kashmiri liberation guy. We haven't been hearing much lately about the running sore of Indian Kashmir because of the violent hemorrhaging of various Pakistani provinces.)))
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=eventDetail&id=1358
Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving perpetrator, is being tried in an Indian court. He confessed to planning and executing the attacks in July 2009[12] after initially pleading not guilty.[13] Kasab told police that the terrorists were ordered to purposely target Israelis in Mumbai, according to The Times of India[14] to “avenge the atrocities on Palestinians.”[15] Indian forces stormed the Jewish Center on Nov. 28, overtaking the terrorists inside.[16] Kasab revealed, according to Indian sources, that terrorists previously stayed at the Chabad Center in Mumbai before the attacks in order to plan them.[17] (((That's a pretty good one: "yum, pass the bread and salt, future victim.")))
Mumbai's Chabad House is a popular stop for Israeli tourists. The Holtzbergs offered visitors a number of different programs and also provided kosher food. Chabad is a religious movement that serves Jewish communities worldwide through a variety of programs, services and institutions. A total of 4,000 full-time emissary families operate more than 3,300 Chabad institutions around the world.[18] The Chabad of Mumbai Relief Fund was established to rebuild the Chabad Center and provide lifetime support for Moshe Holtzberg. To donate to the Chabad of Mumbai Relief Fund, click here .
During the crisis, The Israel Project worked around the clock to inform the international media about what was happening and help focus world attention on the tragedy and the need to stop terrorism. (((It likely goes without saying that these ceaseless efforts have fueled terrorism spectacularly. Nowadays you don't even have to bother with "the media" – they're either too broke to show up, or somebody shot them already.)))
Anniversary of Mumbai Massacre: India and Israel Continue Strengthening Friendship and Cooperation “After the terror: Where do we go from here?" - TIP Conference Call with Israel's Ambassador to India
Israel and India established full diplomatic relations Jan. 29, 1992. Cooperation with India is now a central aspect of Israeli foreign policy on political, security, commercial, scientific and cultural levels. ((("So, are you getting that 'suicide belt problem'? Hey, me too! Let's drop on by the penthouse cafe and swap some challah and chutney.")))
[19] Bilateral trade has steadily increased from $200 million in 1992 to $4 billion in 2008[20] and tourism between the two countries is also growing, with about 35,000 Israelis traveling to India annually and almost 20,000 tourists from India visiting Israel in 2007. Given the anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, such developments are proof that terrorism didn’t win, or even deter India and Israel from forging ahead in increasing their tourism and business ties. (((Given the stats I'm thinking "spectacular capitalist trade boom" is the best description here. If you actually WANT a bunch of wealthy Israeli tourists dropping by with shekels, you might wanna actually ARRANGE a terrorist event in your town.)))
Diplomatic Relations
• In December 1996, Israeli President Ezer Weizman led a 24-member delegation of Israeli business people to India. This was the first of 20 reciprocal visits between Israeli and Indian officials.[21]
• In September 2003, relations strengthened significantly following then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s two-day state visit to India. During the visit, Israel and India signed numerous agreements regarding the environment, health, education, culture and combating drug trafficking.[22]
• The Delhi Statement of Friendship and Cooperation between India and Israel was established between the two countries at the end of Sharon’s visit. The statement aimed to enhance bilateral cooperation and strengthen friendship between the two countries.[23] (((Okay, now try to figure out which major world powers really want to suck up to Pakistan right now. China doesn't count because they'll get in bed with lepers.)))
Economic Cooperation
• Israeli and Indian companies have established several joint ventures that focus on agriculture, telecommunications, computer software and medical equipment.[24]
• Since 1992, India and Israel rapidly diversified their trading. Early in the relationship, economic ties were largely concentrated in the diamond industry, but today trade between the two countries now includes hi-tech products, chemicals and agricultural products, as well as medical equipment.[25] Bilateral trade has steadily increased from $200 million in 1992 to $4 billion in 2008.[26]
• Tourism between the two countries is also growing, with about 35,000 Israelis traveling to India annually and almost 20,000 tourists from India visiting Israel in 2007.[27]
Military Ties (((oh brother)))
• Military cooperation and arms sales have become a central aspect of Israel-India relations.[28]
• In 2009, Israel overtook Russia as India's leading arms supplier, (((and given the military hardware Russia piped over, that's saying something))) with Israel and India signing more than $1 billion in defense contracts in 2007 and 2008.[29]
• India has increasingly turned to Israel for sophisticated weapons systems. The Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 was particularly significant in expediting India’s acquisition of air and naval surveillance systems which they bought from Israel.[30] ((("Wall of Kashmir," here we come.)))
• Following the November 2008 terror attack on Mumbai, India purchased an aerostat radar system from Israel in a contract worth $600 million which India has deployed along its border with Pakistan. The two countries have also embarked on a joint development project for a medium-range air defense system.[31] (((Who will be the first jihadi iced by an all-Indian drone-toted Hellfire missile? May have already happened.)))
Expert sources available for press interviews Mark Sofer, Israel’s Ambassador to India Tel. in New Delhi: 91-11-30414500 Tel. in Mumbai: 91-22-22819993
Dr. Dina Port, Dept. of Jewish History, Tel Aviv University Anti-Semitism expert Tel.: 972-3-640-8383
Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, Researcher, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Anti-Semitism expert Tel.: 972-2-561-9281
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Washington, D.C. Chabad Spoke to terrorist numerous times to try to rescue hostages Tel.: 202-332-5600
Rabbi Nochum Light, Annapolis, Md. Chabad Lifelong friend of Rabbi Holtzberg who was killed in Mumbai Tel.: 443-321-4628
Abe Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League Contact via Myrna Shinbaum (spokeswoman), Tel.: 212-885-7747
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder & President of The Israel Project T el: 202-857-6644 or [email protected]
Footnotes:
[1] Rabinowitz, Dorothy, “Dial Mumbai for Murder,” The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 13, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704576204574530142902187118.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
[2] Polgreen, Lydia; Mekhennet, Souad, “Militant Network Is Intact Long After Mumbai Siege,” The New York Times, Sept. 29, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/world/asia/30mumbai.html
[3] JPost.com staff; Lappin, Yaakov; and The Associated Press, “PM: Massacre takes us back to worst moments in our history,” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 30, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/65w9vk
[4] JPost.com staff, “6th Chabad House victim identified a Mexican citizen Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich,” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 30, 2009, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702376273&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
[5] “104 killed in Mumbai terror rampage,” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 26, 2008, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702333602&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull; Horovitz, David; Wagner, Matthew, “'Eight Israelis held by terrorists in Mumbai Chabad House'” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 27, 2008, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702336066&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
[6] Lightstone, Mordechai, “Dancing in the Street With Newly Completed Mumbai Torah,” Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters News, Nov. 13, 2009, http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2027600/Dancing-in-the-Street-With-Newly-Completed-Mumbai-Torah.html
[7] “Jewish Calendar,” Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington, http://www.chabadalexandria.org/templates/events.htm, accessed Nov. 16, 2009; “Dallas Doings,” Texas Jewish Post, http://tjpnews.com/?author=1, accessed Nov. 16, 2009; “Loaves of Love,” Chabad of Upper Montgomery County, MD, http://www.ourshul.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/1040239/jewish/Loaves-of-Love.htm, accessed Nov. 16, 2009
[8] Gillani, Waqar; Sengupta, Somini, “Pakistan Court Orders Release of Militant Suspected of Ties to Mumbai Attacks,” The New York Times, June 2, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/world/asia/03lahore.html
[9] Masood, Salman, “Terror Suspect Cleared Again in Pakistan,” The New York Times, Oct. 12, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/world/asia/13lahore.html
[10] “Profile: Lashkar-e-Taiba,” BBC News, Dec. 4, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3181925.stm
[11] Masood, Salman, “Terror Suspect Cleared Again in Pakistan,” The New York Times, Oct. 12, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/world/asia/13lahore.html; Khan, M. Ilyas, “Profile: Hafiz Mohammad Saeed,” BBC News, June 2, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6067694.stm
[12] “Ajmal Kasab,” The New York Times, July 20, 2009, http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/ajmal_kasab/index.html
[13] “Mumbai attacker Kasab pleads not guilty,” Xinhua, May 6, 2009, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/06/content_11324380.htm
[14] Ali, S Ahmed, “Mumbai locals helped us, terrorist tells cops,” The Times of India, Nov. 30, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/6aq8g5
[15] Ali, S Ahmed, “Mumbai locals helped us, terrorist tells cops,” The Times of India, Nov. 30, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/6aq8g5
[16] “Report: 5 hostages die in Mumbai Jewish center,” AP, Nov. 28, 2008, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hz0C0SXcxgP0NxzlqGA_EI57FBkQD94O04200
[17] Ali, S Ahmed, “Mumbai locals helped us, terrorist tells cops,” The Times of India, Nov. 30, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/6aq8g5
[18] “About Chabad,” Web site of Chabad.org, accessed Nov. 27, 2008, from http://www.chabad.org/global/about/article_cdo/aid/36226/jewish/Overview.htm
[19] "Bilateral Relations: Historical Overview,” Embassy of Israel-New Delhi, http://delhi.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?SubjectID=2010&MissionID=93&LanguageID=0&StatusID=0&DocumentID=-1. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009
[20] “India-Israel bilateral relations,” Embassy of India in Tel Aviv, http://www.indembassy.co.il/India-Israel%20Bilateral%20relations.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009
[21] Kapila, Subhash, “India-Israel Relations,” South Asia Analysis Group, Jan. 8, 2000, http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers2%5Cpaper131.html
[22] “Bilateral Relations: Historical Overview,” Embassy of Israel-New Delhi, http://delhi.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?SubjectID=2010&MissionID=93&LanguageID=0&StatusID=0&DocumentID=-1. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009
[23] "Delhi Statement on Friendship and Cooperation between India and Israel,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sept.10, 2003, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Foreign+Relations/Bilateral+relations/Delhi+Statement+on+Friendship+ and+Cooperation+betw.htm
[24] “India – Israel Bilateral Trade and Economic Relations,” Economic Mission of Israel in India, February 2005, http://www.tamas.gov.il/NR/exeres/4B0C4DCC-EDC0-45EB-AC60-E449C9EA26FA.htm
[25] “India – Israel Bilateral Trade and Economic Relations,” Economic Mission of Israel in India, February 2005, http://www.tamas.gov.il/NR/exeres/4B0C4DCC-EDC0-45EB-AC60-E449C9EA26FA.htm
[26] “India-Israel bilateral relations,” Embassy of India in Tel Aviv, http://www.indembassy.co.il/India-Israel%20Bilateral%20relations.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009
[27] “India-Israel bilateral relations,” Embassy of India in Tel Aviv, http://www.indembassy.co.il/India-Israel%20Bilateral%20relations.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009
[28] Harris, David, “Indian-Israeli relationship of convenience,” Xinhua, Nov. 12, 2009, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/12/content_12436763.htm
[29] “End of an era: Israel replaces Russia as India's top military supplier,” World Tribune, March 25, 2009, http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/me_military0246_03_25.asp
[30] “End of an era: Israel replaces Russia as India's top military supplier,” World Tribune, March 25, 2009, http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/me_military0246_03_25.asp
[31] “End of an era: Israel replaces Russia as India's top military supplier,” World Tribune, March 25, 2009, http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/me_military0246_03_25.asp
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