NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday strongly condemned the terror attack during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach and said that India and Israel share a policy of “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.
Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Israel, held discussions with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar. “Let me first of all convey our very, very sincere, deep condolences at the loss of life due to the terror attack at Hanukkah celebrations in Bondi Beach. I want to say that we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Jaishankar said.
At least 15 people were killed and 40 others injured when two gunmen opened fire on a gathering during the Jewish festival’s ‘Hanukkah by the Sea’ celebration on Sunday. The attackers were identified as 50-year-old Indian national Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old Australian son Naveed Akram. Sajid Akram had migrated to Australia 27 years ago but was carrying an Indian passport.
Thanking Israel for its consistent support to India in combating terrorism, Jaishankar said both nations stand united against the menace. “Where India and Israel are concerned, we are both countries who have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We appreciate your consistent support to our fight against terrorism and all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister said discussions during his visit would focus on advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries, which he described as having “developed very significantly in the last decade.”
“It has a G2G dimension, a B2B dimension, and one P2P between people as well. And I would say there really are a very large number of domains today that our relationship touches in one form or the other,” Jaishankar said, adding that India and Israel are “very complementary partners” and must fully leverage this synergy. He also reiterated India’s support for the Gaza peace plan and expressed hope that it would lead to a “lasting and durable solution.”
Later, in a post on X, Jaishankar said he had conveyed his “deepest condolences” to his Israeli counterpart and reaffirmed India’s “steadfast resolve in combating the shared challenge of terrorism.” He added that the two sides held “productive discussions” on the strategic partnership, regional developments and the Gaza peace plan.
Jaishankar’s visit comes amid preparations for a proposed visit to India by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently spoke over the phone, after which the Israeli leader said the two would be “meeting very soon.” During his stay, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss bilateral and regional issues aimed at further deepening the India-Israel strategic partnership.